Cruise of Chaos
by LuckyLadybug
Summary: CONCLUDED WITH CHAPTER 20! PLEASE READ AND LEAVE A NICE REVIEW! The YGO gang tries taking a muchneeded vacation, but things don't go as planned!
1. Hysteria on the High Seas

Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Cruise of Chaos  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Notes: As always, the YGO characters aren't mine, and this isn't yaoi! ^_~ Enjoy!  
  
  
  
"Goodbye, Grampa!" Yugi called as he ran out the door of the Game Shop. "Thanks again for getting those free cruise passes for us!"  
  
Grampa Muto smiled. "You and your friends just enjoy yourselves and have a good time," he said, "and NO mystery-solving!!"  
  
Yugi laughed. "I hope we won't run into one!" he declared.  
  
When he arrived down at the docks, he found Joey, Tristan, Tea, Bakura, and Marik already waiting amongst the other passengers milling around.  
  
"Yugi!" Tea called, waving.  
  
Yugi waved back and ran over. "Hey guys!" he greeted everyone. "Are you all ready to go?"  
  
"We sure are," Joey grinned, leaning on his trunk. "Man, this is gonna be a blast!"  
  
"Is your sister coming, Marik?" Yugi asked the Egyptian boy, who nodded.  
  
"She and Rishid are here," he said, glancing around.  
  
"Oh man . . ." Joey groaned suddenly. "Look who else is here!"  
  
Everyone turned to look. Rex Raptor was standing not too far away, but he hadn't seemed to have noticed Joey and the others. In a moment, he walked away into the crowd, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  
  
Tea started to laugh. "Well, we've seen so many of the others recently. I guess it was about time for us to meet Rex again."  
  
Joey looked put out. "Man, I don't wanna meet up with him!" he grumbled.  
  
Yugi smiled. "Well, at least he plays fairly, unlike some of the other Duelists we've encountered," he remarked.  
  
Now the crowd started moving forward, and Yugi and the others followed suit.  
  
"Look!" Tristan exclaimed. "That must be the ship there!" He pointed to a gleaming, luxurious ocean liner just up ahead.  
  
"Oh my," Bakura said softly, blinking. "I've never seen anything like it before. . . ."  
  
"Well, what're we waitin' for?!" Joey exclaimed, grinning in anticipation. "Let's get on board!!"  
  
As everyone began walking up the ramp leading to the deck, Yugi became aware of a sudden commotion. "Do you guys hear that?!" he cried, looking around.  
  
"Someone's in trouble!" Tea worried.  
  
"Help!!" a voice screamed now. "Help!!"  
  
"What is it?!" Yugi cried as he and the others hurried through the throngs of people. "What's wrong?"  
  
When they finally emerged from the crowds of fellow passengers, the teens were horrified to discover a woman leaning on the railing around the deck of the ship, gasping for breath. "I was nearly knocked overboard!" she burst out, her eyes wide.  
  
Instantly the teens gathered around her in concern. "Are you alright?" Bakura said in alarm.  
  
The woman nodded shakily. "I . . . I'm fine," she replied, "but only barely!"  
  
Tea looked around in frustration. "Some of these people are so rude, brushing by others so harshly without even thinking that they might harm them!"  
  
The woman shook her head fiercely. "It wasn't an accident!" she said firmly. "Someone pushed me!!"  
  
By now a crowd had started to gather around them. "What's happened here?!" a uniformed man demanded, pushing his way through to the front.   
  
Quickly the teens and the woman explained, and the man's expression darkened. "This is outrageous!! You must be mistaken, ma'am—no one would be trying to throw you overboard!"  
  
"But they did!!" the woman insisted.  
  
The man shook his head. "No one here would do such an abominable thing!" he said hotly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have much to do!" And with that he stormed off.  
  
"Cheery guy," Joey muttered sarcastically.  
  
The teens turned back to the woman. "We believe you," Yugi said kindly. "Can you tell us more about this person who attacked you?"  
  
"I can't," the woman sighed, shaking her head. "I never got a good look at them. I just started screaming bloody murder and they got scared and ran off."  
  
"Well, that's one good thing," Tea said fervently.  
  
"It would've been even better if they hadn't attacked me at all!" the woman humphed.  
  
Yugi stepped up next to her. "I know you must be awfully distressed and all, but can you think of any reason why someone would grab you like that?" he asked.  
  
The woman suddenly paled. "Oh! I just remembered something I must do," she said abruptly, turning to hurry off.  
  
"Wait!" Yugi cried, but she was already fleeing into the thick masses of people.  
  
"Well," Tea said, voicing the unspoken thoughts of all of her friends, "it looks like we have another mystery—and the cruise hasn't even begun yet!"  
****  
It wasn't long after that that the cruise really did begin. The teens watched, along with many of the other passengers, as the anchor was pulled up and the majestic ship set out for sea.  
  
"The ocean is breath-taking," Tea said softly, idly wishing that Seto Kaiba would have come along. Seto was still as reserved as ever and didn't like hanging out with them, but underneath his aloof shield was a kind, caring person whom Tea and the others had caught a glimpse of many times before when they had been in tight jams. He was as much a friend as any of the others, and Tea missed his presence .  
  
Yugi nodded, but looked worried. "I just hope we can find out why someone would attack that poor woman," he declared.  
  
The other teens concurred.  
  
"Shouldn't we go find the captain?" Tristan spoke up suddenly.  
  
"We should," Yugi agreed. "He's an old friend of Grampa's, and he sent these free passes for us. We need to thank him, and also talk to him about what happened to that woman."  
  
"We should also look for Ishizu and Rishid," Marik remarked, looking around in irritation. "They must have gotten lost in this crowd."  
  
Yugi also glanced about. "Well, let's get started!" he said cheerfully.  
  
The crowds had started to thin out a bit now, and the six teens made their way below deck and started wandering down the winding halls, looking for the captain's quarters.  
  
"Man, you could get lost down here for months!" Joey cried, finding himself getting confused with all the twists and turns. "How the heck are we gonna enjoy everything here in just two weeks?!"  
  
Yugi chuckled. "We'll find a way," he replied.  
  
As they continued on down the hall, the lights briefly flickered and confused Joey even more.  
  
"Watch out," Tristan scolded, seeing his friend start walking backwards around a corner. "You're gonna wind up . . ."  
  
Joey fell over onto the floor along with a person he'd just clanked into.  
  
". . . knocking someone over," Tristan finished with a sigh. He and the others quickly rounded the corner and found Joey and Seto Kaiba laying in a tangled heap.  
  
"Kaiba!" Yugi said in disbelief.  
  
Joey turned to look at the boy he had tripped, also startled. "What the heck are you doin' here?!" he demanded.  
  
Seto grunted. "None of your concern."  
  
Joey looked frustrated, but it passed. "With your attitude, I kinda doubt that you're here for a vacation," he remarked, remembering a similar conversation they'd had back in Utah a while ago.  
  
Seto smirked. "You're right." He stood up slowly, picking up his briefcase. "I'm here on official business."  
  
Tea sighed in exasperation. "Take some time off for once, Kaiba!" she cried. "You deserve it after everything you've been through," she added softly, admitting to herself that she was happy to see him here.  
  
Seto looked at her for a brief moment and then turned to go. "I have an appointment to keep," he muttered.  
  
"If you work yourself too hard, you'll wind up passing out from exhaustion!" Joey told him bluntly.  
  
"That's not going to happen." Seto walked off down the hall.  
  
Yugi shook his head, looking amused. "Well, that's Kaiba for you," he remarked as they found their way into the dining room. It was almost time for dinner, and people were already filling up the tables.  
  
Joey looked around greedily, the thought of food immensely appealing to him—as always.  
  
"Hey, look at this," Tristan said suddenly, pointing to a flier on the door. "It says they're going to have an interactive mystery thing."  
  
Joey blinked. "You mean like where there's a fake murder or somethin' and everyone tries to find out whodunnit?" he wondered.  
  
"Something like that," Yugi said, also turning to stare at the announcement. "Only this won't be a murder—we'll be trying to solve a string of puzzling jewel robberies."  
  
"That's fine with me," Joey shrugged, "as long as I can eat!" His eyes lit up as he watched the waiters wheeling trays of food out.  
  
"Weren't we supposed to find the captain?" Bakura spoke up, blinking.  
  
"He should be here in the dining room tonight," Yugi replied slowly. "It said on that poster that he was going to introduce the mystery game we'll be playing."  
  
Marik looked around. "I see Ishizu and Rishid," he said, weaving his way around a table. "I will be right back." Before anyone could reply, the Egyptian boy had disappeared into the increasing crowds, his gold jewelry clinking softly.  
  
"Isn't that Rex Raptor over there?" Tristan remarked, pointing ahead to where a long-haired boy was conversing with the woman from earlier.  
  
"It sure as heck is!" Joey cried. "But what the heck is he doin' talking to that woman?!"  
  
The lights flickered again.  
  
"I wonder why that keeps happening," Bakura mused, looking concerned.  
  
"Probably just a lighting malfunction," Tristan shrugged in reply.  
  
Suddenly the room was plunged into darkness and instantly fell into confusion as people started talking loudly.  
  
"Hey! Where is everyone?!" Joey exclaimed. "I can't see a thing!"  
  
"We should stick together," Yugi tried to say, but Joey was already wandering off.  
  
The Brooklyn boy wound up knocking someone else over and they both fell into a tub of ice water.  
  
"Hey!! Watch it!!" Rex Raptor's voice yelled angrily.  
  
Joey grunted. "Watch it yourself!" he shot back.  
  
There was a long silence, but before either Rex or Joey could say more, a blood-curdling scream rent through the darkness! 


	2. Deadly Cargo Hold

"What was that?!"  
  
"What happened?!"  
  
Worried cries rose from all directions as the people began to panic about the blackout and the scream.  
  
Now Rex pulled himself out of the ice water, completely drenched. "You dino-brain! You're not supposed to wander around in the dark!"  
  
"Who are you callin' a dino-brain?!" Joey yelled loudly, grabbing Rex by his sleeveless jacket and pulling him forward.  
  
The PA system crackled now and a pleasant voice came on. "This is your captain speaking. There is nothing to worry about. We are having some difficulty with the electricity, but that will be resolved shortly. Please return to your seats and refrain from panicking."  
  
Rex struggled to pull free. "You hear that? Return to your seat!!" When Joey still didn't let go, the other boy growled angrily. "Hey, who are you anyway? You sound just like . . ."  
  
"Joey Wheeler," the blonde boy replied loudly, just as the lights went on. "That's right—it's me, in the flesh!"  
  
Rex glared at him, not entirely surprised, then turned to stare at the room around them.  
  
Yugi and the others ran over to them now, staring as the two boys dripped water all over the floor. "What happened?!" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"What is this—a convention?" Rex grumped. "This was his fault!" he declared in answer to Yugi's query, pointing at Joey.  
  
"What's going on around here?!" Tea cried, throwing her hands in the air.  
  
"I was just about to ask that question myself," Seto said dryly, coming into the room from where he'd been standing in the doorway.  
  
"I wish we could find out who screamed," Bakura said worriedly. "Someone might be in trouble!"  
  
That's when the uniformed man from earlier burst into the dining room, looking ready to bite through metal. "Is everything in shipshape here?" he demanded.  
  
"Someone screamed!" a random voice called out.  
  
"Well, then, don't just stand around! Find out who screamed!!" the uniformed man replied hotly.  
  
"Excuse me!" Yugi called out, waving.  
  
With a scowl, the man went over. "What do you want?" he demanded.  
  
Yugi tried to ignore the man's rude tone. "Can you tell us, sir, what was wrong with the electricity?"  
  
The man shrugged. "It was a short, but we fixed it now. Nothing to worry about."  
  
By now everyone was coming the room, trying to find someone—anyone—who might have been the source of the scream, but to no avail. Everything seemed to be in perfect order, except for the overturned food carts and tub of ice water.  
  
"It was probably just someone screamin' 'cause they knocked something over," Joey suggested with a shrug, still angry about falling into the water.  
  
"I don't think so," Yugi said gravely. "Remember what happened earlier with that lady. Maybe she or someone else was hurt!"  
  
"Oh hey . . ." Joey turned to glare at Rex. "Who was that lady you were talkin' to, anyway?! Someone tried to throw her overboard earlier!"  
  
Rex stared at him. "What?! That's crazy. Who would want to throw her overboard?!"  
  
"That's what we want to find out," Tristan said. "Now who was she?"  
  
"Hey, I don't know!" Rex cried in frustration. "She just came up to me and wanted to know where the staterooms were! She never gave her name or nothin'!"  
  
"We should find her," Yugi said grimly.  
  
Tea nodded in agreement, then turned to Seto. "Is Mokuba here with you?" she asked curiously.  
  
"He is," Seto replied shortly. In fact, the boy thought now, I should go make sure he's alright. With all this nonsense going on, there's no telling what Mokuba might've gotten into. Without another word, the blue-eyed boy turned and left.  
  
Suddenly a loud pounding sound came from somewhere in the room and a female voice cried out in panic. "Hey!! Let me out of here!!"  
  
Everyone in the room snapped to attention. "What's that?!" Joey burst out.  
  
"Someone's locked in the storage closet!" the uniformed man cried in disbelief, running to the door and yanking it open.  
  
A frazzled Mai Valentine tumbled out.  
  
"Mai!" Yugi and the others gasped. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
"Becoming very frustrated!" the blonde girl cried. She stood up and dusted herself off.  
  
"Were you the one who screamed?" Tea asked.  
  
Mai nodded shakily. "When the lights went out, someone just grabbed me and shoved me into that closet!"  
  
"Why the heck would someone do that?!" Joey said in disbelief.  
  
There was a flash of light and Yami Yugi appeared, looking immensely concerned. "Tell me, Mai, where were you sitting when this happened?" he wanted to know.  
  
Mai gave him a strange look. "Over by that window," she replied, pointing. "Why?"  
  
"Perhaps there was a reason why they wanted to get you away from there," Yami Yugi replied, leading the way over to the table in question.  
  
"Excuse me!" a man's voice called, and another uniformed man came through the crowd. Yugi recognized him as the captain—Geoffrey Hardy—and hurried over.  
  
"Captain Hardy?" the boy said, looking up at him.  
  
The captain looked at him, distraction on his face. He was a kind man, but right now he had many pressing problems on his mind. "What can I do for you?" he asked, trying to manage a small smile.  
  
"Captain, we found the girl who screamed a few minutes ago," Yugi replied, deciding that now was not the right time to introduce himself.  
  
Instantly the man gave Yugi his full attention. "Is she alright?" he demanded.  
  
"She seems to be," Yugi told him, "but she says someone purposely threw her into a closet when the lights were out."  
  
The captain groaned. "This is bad!" he said low, shaking his head. "This is the fourth terrible thing that's happened today!"  
  
"The fourth?" Yugi gasped.  
  
"Yes," Captain Hardy nodded solemnly. "The first happened even before this cruise began, when some poor woman was nearly thrown overboard."  
  
"My friends and I talked to her after that happened," Yugi said slowly.   
  
"The second was, of course, this problem with the electricity," the Captain continued, pausing.  
  
"What was the other thing?" Yugi prompted.  
  
Captain Hardy looked tired as they walked over to where Mai and the others were. "Someone's luggage was misplaced in the hold."  
  
"Wouldn't those kinds of mistakes happen a lot?" Joey asked curiously as they approached, over-hearing the last part.  
  
"Not this way," Captain Hardy replied. "The person located their trunk, but it was completely covered in a red substance that looked like blood!"  
  
"How terrible!" Tea cried.  
  
"Sounds like a mean prank to me," Joey remarked.  
  
"I would normally agree with you, young man," the captain said, "except that the person began screaming and crying and carrying on in such a way that it let me know that it was not any prank to her. She seemed to think it was a . . . warning of some kind." He paused, blinking. "Why am I telling you kids all of this?" he exclaimed now.  
  
Yugi had to chuckle. "Captain Hardy, I'm Yugi Muto," he introduced himself.  
  
"Solomon Muto's grandson?" Captain Hardy asked, recognition dawning.  
  
"That's right," Yugi smiled and then introduced his friends. After they thanked the captain profusely for the free passes, the teens vowed to help find out who was behind this strange series of events.  
  
"It would be a relief to me," Captain Hardy said, examining the area around Mai's table. After a moment, he shook his head in frustration. "I can't understand why anyone would want to put you in the closet, Ms. Valentine," he said with a sigh.  
  
Mai sat down again, looking defeated. "It was probably just a mean prank," she decided.  
  
"I don't know, Mai," Yugi said slowly. "In light of the other things that have happened, I don't think we should dismiss it so lightly."  
  
"Hey," Tea said suddenly, "whatever happened to Marik?!"  
  
The teens all looked at each other guiltily. Amidst all the excitement, they had completely forgotten about the Egyptian boy.  
  
"I think he went to find Ishizu and Rishid," Bakura spoke up now, "but I don't see any of them around."  
  
The Captain ran a hand over his face. "We'll find them," he said determinedly, feeling weary after the long day of strange events.  
  
"Let's all split up and look," Yugi directed, and the others agreed.  
  
Rex watched them disappear in various directions but didn't offer to help. He was sure that their friend—whoever he was—was just fine.  
****  
Seto made his way down the long halls until he finally found the stateroom he and Mokuba were staying in and opened the door. "Mokuba?" he called softly. He wasn't sure if his younger brother would be in there or not. Mokuba had mentioned wanting to explore all around the ship, but he had promised to make it back to the stateroom before dinnertime so that Seto wouldn't have to look everywhere for him.  
  
Sure enough, the little boy came running out now and leaped into Seto's arms happily. "Hi, big brother!" he greeted.  
  
"Hey kid," Seto smiled, holding him close. "Did you have a good time exploring the ship?"  
  
Mokuba beamed. "There's so many cool things here, Seto!" he exclaimed, going on to tell him about all the fun things he'd seen. "There's even a video arcade!"  
  
"There is, huh?" Seto always enjoyed being with Mokuba. The younger boy had so much energy and was always so innocent and pure. "Are you hungry, kid?" Seto asked now.  
  
Mokuba nodded. "Yeah!"  
  
"Come with me, then," Seto said gently, leading Mokuba out into the hall and heading once more for the dining room.  
****  
Bakura wandered down through the corridors calling for Marik and his sister, but to no avail. They didn't seem to be anywhere around.  
  
"Foolish mortals," Yami Bakura remarked, coming out of the Ring and following the boy down the hall.  
  
Bakura blushed as a passenger turned to stare at them strangely. "Yami, please don't say things like that!" he begged. "Everyone will think we're quite out of our minds!"  
  
Yami Bakura snorted. "You worry too much, you dolt," he said.  
  
Bakura tried to ignore him and looked into the ping-pong room. The only people inside were two ladies in their early twenties engaged in a heated round of the game.  
  
"Excuse me," the boy called shyly, and both women looked up.  
  
"Hey!" one of them chirped.  
  
"Can we help you?" the other one asked, looking a bit annoyed about being disturbed.  
  
Bakura scratched his cheek. "Well, I'm terribly sorry to bother you two, but I was wondering if you've seen a friend of mine?"  
  
The girls shrugged. "We might've," the first one said slowly.  
  
"What does he look like?" the second one demanded.  
  
Bakura paused. "He's an Egyptian," he told them, "with long, blonde hair and gold jewelry . . ."  
  
"Oh yeah!" the first one interrupted. "I saw him. He was going down the hall towards the cargo hold."  
  
Bakura blinked in confusion. Why would Marik be going to the cargo hold? Rishid had been taking the Ishtars' luggage to their rooms, so Marik couldn't have been going to the cargo hold to get it. "Was he alone?" the boy asked now.  
  
"I think so," the girl replied. "I hope you find him!"  
  
"As do I," Bakura said, backing out of the doorway. "Thank you for your help!" he called with a wave.  
  
Before long Bakura found his way down to the cargo hold and he and Yami Bakura went inside.  
  
"This is absurd," the old thief muttered as he followed Bakura around through the rows of luggage.  
  
Bakura barely heard him. He was wondering why there hadn't been anyone standing guard at the door. It seemed very strange, and he couldn't help feeling uneasy.  
  
Suddenly the ship gave a tremendous lurch and several heavy trunks fell from a shelf above them. Bakura cried out as he was thrown hard to the floor, but luckily escaped being hit with any of the luggage.  
  
In a moment it was over and all was silent. Now Bakura slowly raised himself up, shaking. "Yami?" he called frantically. "Yami, where are you? Are you hurt?"   
  
There was no answer. 


	3. Mysterious Tunnel

Bakura looked around, feeling a growing sense of worry. "Yami!" he screamed again. "Please answer me!"  
  
Trembling, the boy stood up and cautiously made his way around the fallen luggage, calling for the tomb robber without much success.  
  
After he had been searching through the darkened room for what seemed like an eternity, Bakura found his Yami's limp body crumpled in the shadows, a heavy trunk pinning him to the floor.  
  
"Yami!" Bakura cried in horror, dropping to his knees and touching the thief's shoulder. Not receiving an answer, the boy shoved the trunk aside and gently took Yami Bakura's body into his arms in concern. "Oh Yami, this is my fault!" Bakura wailed. "I'm so sorry! . . ." He prayed desperately that his Yami wasn't seriously hurt. "Please wake up, Yami!" he begged.  
  
"What's going on in here?" a gruff, thickly-accented voice suddenly demanded from the doorway.  
  
Bakura hesitated. If he said that Yami Bakura had been hurt, this person would no doubt want to take him to the infirmary—but that wouldn't help the old thief any. But he couldn't say that his friend was an ancient spirit from Egypt—they'd think he was completely insane and then they might take *him* to the infirmary.  
  
"I . . . I'm not sure," the boy said at last. "I . . . I was looking for a friend and suddenly all this luggage came falling down . . ."  
  
The man began muttering to himself in another language and then turned and walked away.  
  
"That was odd," Bakura commented, looking down at Yami Bakura again. "Oh Yami, can you hear me?!" he wailed.  
  
Yami Bakura didn't stir, and Bakura held him close, his soft brown eyes shining worriedly. "This is my fault," the boy said again quietly. "Oh, what shall I do?!"  
  
****  
  
As Seto and Mokuba walked down the hall, a loud crash came from a room just to the left of them and both boys jumped.  
  
"What was that?!" Mokuba cried.  
  
"Probably nothing," Seto replied comfortingly, but he turned to look in the room anyway.  
  
It looked as though a hurricane had blown through. The room seemed to be the location of the library, because most of what was strewn around were heavy bookcases and the books that had inhabited them.  
  
"What a mess!" Mokuba cried, his eyes wide.  
  
"Someone's been raising Cain in here," Seto muttered. No one was in sight, but someone had obviously been there sometime in the near past. The loud crash they had just heard was the world globe falling over.  
  
"Kaiba? What's happening?"  
  
Both boys turned to look as Tea ran up to them.  
  
"See for yourself," Seto told her, gesturing toward the doorway.  
  
Tea peeked in and then gasped. "Why would someone do this?!" she exclaimed, and then a new thought occurred to her. "And how could they?! Wouldn't these bookcases have been bolted down?!"  
  
Seto grunted, knowing that the girl was right. "Either someone was determined to make a mess . . ."  
  
This was said with a certain amount of sarcasm, and Mokuba couldn't help but giggle. Seto ruffled the younger boy's hair with a smile before turning serious again.  
  
". . . or else they were looking for something," the older boy finished.  
  
"But what would anyone want in there?!" Tea cried.  
  
Seto had no idea and so he said nothing.  
  
"I heard about all the other commotion that happened today, big brother," Mokuba said now. "It looks like another mystery!"  
  
Seto held him close. "Maybe so, kid, but I'm not planning to get involved. I've had enough hair-raising experiences to last me a lifetime!"  
  
Tea touched his arm gently. "You deserve a break," she agreed softly.  
  
Seto sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't take a break from my work. The company won't run itself." He turned to go. "Come on, Mokuba. Let's get some dinner and forget about all this nonsense," he said, referring to the demolished room as "nonsense."  
  
"Okay, big brother!" Mokuba said agreeably, happy for the chance to get away from a possible crime scene.  
  
Now Seto turned back to Tea, his face expressionless as usual. "I would advise you not to stay here either," he told her, seeing how she was studying the library.  
  
"I'm leaving," Tea replied firmly. She began walking with the Kaiba brothers. "I don't suppose you've seen Marik, have you?" she asked now.  
  
Seto shook his head. "I haven't."  
  
Tea sighed. "I was afraid of that."  
  
****  
  
The boy everyone had been looking for, meanwhile, had been having quite the adventures of his own.  
  
It had all started when Marik had seen Ishizu and Rishid in the dining room and had gone to find them.  
  
"Ishizu!" Marik called, seeing the older woman vanishing into the crowds. "Where are you going?"  
  
Marik's sister didn't seem to hear as she walked around a corner with Rishid in tow. Marik was about to go after them when the power went out, making him lose his sense of direction. Confusion prevailed amongst all the passengers and someone clanged into the boy, sending him tripping over a chair. He cried out in pain as he fell to the floor.  
  
To Marik's utter shock, he kept on falling when he hit the hard tiles. He found himself tumbling over and over down what appeared to be a slippery slide and he was getting immensely dizzy. He screamed as he slammed his shoulder hard against the side and then was spit out violently onto another rough floor.  
  
Marik lay dazed for several long moments, trying to collect his bearings, and then he shakily stood up. "What in Heaven's name just happened?!" he cried, looking around. "I seem to be in the Captain's quarters!"  
  
Slowly the Egyptian boy began wandering through the room, searching for the exit. "Why would they build a children's slide leading from the dining room to here?!" he muttered in disbelief. He felt dizzy after his wild ride and he stumbled over to a door at the other end of the room with quite a bit of effort. Marik clutched at the doorknob, willing the room to stop spinning. When the feelings of vertigo passed, he turned the knob and staggered into the hallway, glancing around for anyone familiar. "Ishizu? Rishid? Where the devil are you?!" he yelled, his voice echoing up and down the corridors.  
  
As he walked past the many rooms, he found himself passing by the cargo hold. He slowed down as he came upon the guard, who was conversing on a telephone in another language. Quickly Marik darted around a corner to listen. The language the man was speaking in was Egyptian—so Marik, of course, understood every word of what was being said—and the boy didn't like what he was hearing.  
  
"Yes, yes!" the guard was saying impatiently. "No, I haven't found it yet! . . . Yes, I know you want your revenge. Patience, my friend. PATIENCE!!"  
  
That guard could use some patience himself, Marik thought wryly. But what in Heaven's name is he talking about?!  
  
Suddenly the man paused, glancing around suspiciously. "I have to go," he muttered into the receiver. "Someone's spying on me."  
  
I've been caught, Marik thought grimly. He turned and dashed away, but the guard ran after him in hot pursuit.  
  
"Come back here!" the man yelled angrily, still speaking in Egyptian. "Come back, boy, or suffer the consequences!" He produced a deadly weapon and threw it viciously, narrowly missing Marik.  
  
The boy ducked. What was he going to do? Could he possibly fool this person into thinking that he hadn't understood what was being said? Perhaps if he pretended to only understand English, the man would let him go.  
  
"Why are you pursuing me?" Marik cried in English. "I have done nothing wrong!"  
  
The guard cornered him and wrenched his arm around. "You were eavesdropping on me," he hissed, switching to English himself.  
  
Marik shook his head, trying to look completely innocent and horrified. "Why, no!" he gasped. "I would never eavesdrop on someone's private conversations! Besides, I cannot speak any language other than English. It would be quite ridiculous for me to try listening in on a conversation in a language I have no knowledge of!"  
  
The man's eyes narrowed. "You look Egyptian to me. Are you telling me you can't even speak the language of your people?!" This thought seemed to anger him more than the idea that Marik had been listening to his conversation.  
  
Marik blinked. "I was born in Egypt, but my family moved to America when I was still very young. They always meant to school me in the Egyptian language, but that never happened," he bluffed.  
  
The man didn't look convinced. He began shooting off rapid-fire questions at Marik in Egyptian, and the boy pretended to look absolutely bewildered and confused.  
  
"I am sorry," he said after this had gone on for several minutes, "but I do not understand a single word of what you have said."  
  
Apparently the bluff worked. The man backed down, his eyes narrowed. "Get out of here and stop wasting my time," he hissed, shoving Marik backwards.  
  
Marik, however, didn't leave. Instead he continued to face the man, a steely look coming into his lavender eyes. "I will leave," he promised, "but first I wish you to tell me why you threw your weapon at me!"  
  
The man crossed his arms. "I didn't throw anything at you," he denied.  
  
"Then who did?" Marik asked evenly.  
  
"I don't know!" the man growled. "Perhaps you imagined the entire thing! Now I have a job to do and you are keeping me from it."  
  
Marik nodded and stepped aside, allowing the man to pass. He decided that the best thing for now would be to continue observing the man and see if he could find out for certain what he was up to. Also, he would privately tell someone in authority what he had heard.  
  
But first he needed to find Ishizu and Rishid. They had to be around somewhere!  
  
As the boy resumed his journey down the winding halls, the dizziness again overwhelmed him—but more intensely this time. "What is happening to me?!" he cried, just before he sank unconscious to the floor.  
  
****  
  
When Tea and the Kaiba brothers arrived back in the dining room, everything had more or less gone back to normal. Once again people were sitting around at the tables, laughing and eating as if nothing strange had happened a few moments before.  
  
"I wonder where Yugi and the others are," Tea remarked worriedly. "We were all going to meet back here in an hour or two, but it doesn't look like any of them are here yet."  
  
Seto grunted. "It's a large ship."  
  
"I know, but in light of everything that's been going on, you never know what could've happened to them!" Tea cried.  
  
"Here comes some of them now," Mokuba announced, pointing.  
  
The two teens turned to look in the direction the younger boy had just indicated. Joey, Tristan, and Mai had just entered into the dining room, and they glanced around uncertainly.  
  
"Hey!" Tea called, waving. "Over here!"  
  
Soon the other teens had made their way over and they began to exchange stories.  
  
"We haven't had any luck," Mai sighed.   
  
"I haven't either," Tea said, "but you should see what someone did to the library!" Quickly she and Mokuba explained what they had seen while Seto stood to the side, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Before long Yugi and his Yami joined the group, not having had any luck either.  
  
"Where's Bakura?!" Tea exclaimed worriedly after another half hour had gone by without any sign of the sweet, innocent British boy.  
  
"Oh no," Mai groaned. "Is he missing now too?!"  
  
"It looks that way," Yugi said grimly.  
  
****  
  
Bakura, meanwhile, was still cradling his Yami's unconscious body in the cargo hold and becoming more nervous with every passing minute.  
  
"Please wake up, Yami!" the boy pleaded again, knowing that he could never try carrying the tomb raider out of the cargo hold.  
  
Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps nearby. Someone was here! 


	4. Suspicious Man

Bakura tensed, moving deeper into the shadows with his Yami's body. His heart pounded wildly as the person approached, praying that they wouldn't be spotted.  
  
The person—who was attired in Egyptian robes and a turban—walked right past Bakura and his unconscious Yami and instead headed toward the back of the cargo hold.  
  
How odd, Bakura thought to himself. What on earth could he want?!  
  
Now the man paused and looked around suspiciously, his blue eyes narrowing. "He is near," Bakura heard him mutter, and then he disappeared out a side door.  
  
For a long time afterward Bakura pondered on this strange occurrence. That man hadn't really looked too friendly; could he have been in league with the criminals? Bakura hated to think such things about people, but he knew it was possible.  
  
Yami Bakura stirred then, moaning in pain.  
  
Bakura quickly looked down at him. "Yami? Oh, are you badly hurt?!" the boy cried.  
  
The old thief's eyes slowly opened. "Foolish mortal," he mumbled.  
  
Bakura blinked. "I . . . I know this was my fault," he said softly, tears in his eyes. "I shouldn't have come in here with you, Yami. . . ."  
  
Yami Bakura grunted, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "If you had come in alone, you most likely would have been injured yourself, you dolt."  
  
"But now you're hurt, Yami!" Bakura exclaimed.  
  
"Imbecile. I will be fine!" the tomb raider snapped, then winced at the pain.  
  
"You're hurt!" Bakura said again, his eyes shining worriedly.  
  
"Don't be a fool!" Yami Bakura grumped, pushing Bakura aside and trying to stand up. He clutched his side in agony, almost falling over.  
  
Bakura gasped, rushing to steady him. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Yami!" he cried in horror. "Please let me help you!"  
  
Yami Bakura groaned, slumping against the boy wearily. "Just get me out of here," he ordered.  
  
****  
  
Marik, still laying semi-conscious on the ship's floor, now felt a hand gently shaking him on his shoulder, but he wasn't aware of things enough to really know what was happening.  
  
"Master!" a familiar voice pleaded. "What is wrong? Please wake up, Master!"  
  
Marik recognized the voice as that of his dear brother Rishid and he tried to rise from the oblivion, but he couldn't seem to gather the strength to do so.  
  
Now he was being lifted into Rishid's arms and carried. He knew he was safe with his adopted brother and so his sensations faded away again as he went completely under.  
  
****  
  
Rishid held his brother's body close, a worried look in his eyes. What could have happened to the boy? He didn't look seriously hurt, but he certainly wouldn't be laying on the floor of the ship for the fun of it.  
  
As he turned around a corner, he suddenly met up with Yugi and most of the rest of the boy's friends.  
  
"Marik!" Yugi gasped, his violet eyes wide in alarm.  
  
"Is he hurt?!" Mokuba cried. Seto laid a hand on his shoulder gently.  
  
Rishid sighed. "I do not know. I am taking him back to his stateroom and then I will try to examine him more fully."  
  
"We should tell the Captain about this," Yugi declared grimly.  
  
The others agreed emphatically.  
  
"Do you know where Ishizu is?" Tristan asked now.  
  
Rishid nodded. "She is unpacking in her own stateroom," he replied. "Now you all must excuse me." And he hurried off with the boy's body, leaving the others stunned and confused.  
  
"Man, I hope he'll be okay," Joey said softly.  
  
Tea nodded. "Why do we always have to run into some kind of a mystery?!" she now cried in frustration. "I'm getting sick of it!"  
  
"Don't worry, Tea," Yugi assured her firmly. "We'll find out who's behind these dastardly deeds and then we can spend the rest of our vacation relaxing."  
  
****  
  
Captain Hardy was absolutely appalled when he was told of the latest goings-on.  
  
"This is outrageous!" he burst out, collapsing into a chair and shaking his head. "I just can't understand what's going on with this cruise! Everything is going wrong and we've barely been on the high seas for two hours!"  
  
"We'll do everything we can to find out what's happening," Tea promised.  
  
Yugi nodded, stepping forward. "Captain Hardy, can you think of anyone who might want to sabotage your cruise like this?"  
  
"Not a soul!" Captain Hardy replied in despair. "I don't know what we're going to do." He looked up at the young people again. "Please tell me when your friend wakes up," he requested.  
  
"We certainly will," Yugi assured him, then turned to look at the others. "And now we must go find Bakura," he declared.  
  
The captain nodded shakily. "Yes, you need to find him." He paused. "I wonder if it's a good idea to go on with the interactive mystery as planned?" he mused worriedly.  
  
"I think you should," Tea told him. "It would help take the passengers' minds off of all the scary things happening."  
  
"You're probably right, young lady," Captain Hardy agreed, shooing them all to the door. "Now do hurry along and find your friend!"  
  
****  
  
Rex was sitting in the dining room when he saw Bakura walk past, trying to steady his Yami. Confused, the brown-haired boy walked to the doorway and looked out. "Hey!" he called. "What happened?!"  
  
Bakura turned to look at him. "Some luggage fell down in the cargo hold," he hurriedly explained, "and a heavy trunk hurt my Yami . . ."  
  
"I'm fine, you dolt!" Yami Bakura growled in frustration.  
  
Bakura shook his head. "I'm afraid you're not, Yami," he said sadly, then turned back to Rex. "I'm sorry I can't stay and talk, but I need to get him back to the stateroom."  
  
Rex shrugged and started to go back inside the dining room. As he did so, Bakura suddenly caught sight of the Egyptian man from earlier walking amidst the tables and started.  
  
"What is it?" Yami Bakura asked grouchily.  
  
Bakura blinked, coming out of his trance. "Oh . . . it's nothing, Yami," he said, knowing that the old thief wouldn't think anything of the incident and deciding that he himself probably shouldn't either.  
  
****  
  
Marik stirred, feeling a damp cloth being applied to his forehead. The boy's eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking up at a worried Ishizu. "Sister?" he said softly.  
  
Ishizu breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh Marik. . . . You have had us so worried!" she declared.  
  
Rishid now hurried over from where he had been going through a First Aid Kit. "Master, what happened to you?" he cried. "Are you alright?!"  
  
"I am fine," Marik said with a blink, the events of the past half-hour slowly returning to him. "I have been looking everywhere for you and Ishizu," he said weakly, and explained of his escapade.  
  
Both Ishizu and Rishid looked horrified as they listened. "This is very serious, brother," Ishizu said grimly when she heard of what the Egyptian guard had said on the phone. "He and his accomplice are obviously up to no good."  
  
Marik nodded. "But it will not profit us if we accuse him now," he went on, telling of what he had had to do to get the man to let him go. "He would only deny everything, plus he would then know that I truly had understood the conversation."  
  
"You are right, Master," Rishid agreed. "We will have to proceed with immense caution."  
  
Marik then told of his idea that the guard should simply be closely observed for a while. "Perhaps he will slip up and we will learn something then," he finished.  
  
"You must speak with the captain about all of this, Marik," Ishizu told him, and the younger boy promised he would.  
  
Now Rishid looked worried. "Master, what on earth would make you fall unconscious so suddenly?" he wondered.  
  
Marik shook his head. "I am sure I cannot imagine," he sighed. "I was extremely dizzy in the slippery slide and it took me quite a while before I was able to get myself under control. Then, after I had spoken with that odd guard, I was overwhelmed with vertigo again and fainted dead away."  
  
"That, most likely, was not any ordinary fainting spell, brother," Ishizu remarked. "I have to wonder if perhaps the guard used an odorless anesthetic on you to make you pass out. He may have planned to return for you later but was scared away by Rishid."  
  
Marik blinked. He had considered that possibility as well, but if it was true it meant that the man never really had believed Marik's story. "I have the feeling that we are dealing with immense danger," the boy declared, trying to stand up. "I should speak with the captain now."  
  
Ishizu gently pushed him back down. "You must rest, Marik," she told him. "I will send for the captain to come here."  
  
Marik looked frustrated. "That is not necessary, sister!" he cried.  
  
"Perhaps not," Ishizu agreed, "but I do not wish to take any chances. You will rest," she said firmly.  
  
"I feel perfectly myself again," Marik protested, his lavender eyes narrowing.  
  
Ishizu smiled. "That is good. But you should still rest."  
  
Marik sighed, sinking back into the soft pillows. He knew he would never win this argument.  
  
****  
  
"I don't see Bakura here," Tea sighed, staring into the dining room. "He's just not around!" She and the others had looked everywhere for their friend, to no avail.   
  
"Something must've happened to him when he was trying to find Marik," Joey remarked, trying to ignore his complaining stomach.  
  
"I saw him," Rex's voice announced, and the long-haired boy came from around a table.  
  
"Well, for Pete's sake, tell us!" Tristan said impatiently. "Is he okay?"  
  
"He was fine," Rex shrugged, "but he was helping his friend back to his stateroom."  
  
"Which friend?" Tea demanded.  
  
"The one that looks like him," Rex replied, turning to go.  
  
"How long ago was this?" Yugi wanted to know.  
  
"About fifteen minutes ago," Rex told him. "He said there was some kind of accident in the cargo hold. I'm glad I don't have to go down there!"  
  
The other young people looked at each other and then took off for Bakura's stateroom. They had checked there earlier but hadn't found him. Perhaps he would be there now.  
  
"Do you think whatever happened in the cargo hold was really just an accident?" Mai wondered as they hurried along.  
  
"It's hard to say," Yugi replied grimly. "It depends on exactly what did happen."  
  
Soon they arrived at Bakura's stateroom and Yugi quickly knocked. "Bakura!" he called. "Are you here?"  
  
To everyone's relief, the soft-spoken boy answered. "Yes," he said quietly, coming to the door and opening it, "I'm here. Have you found Marik?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"Marik was found," Yugi told him.  
  
"But more about him later," Joey interrupted. "Where the heck have you been, man?! We've been lookin' everywhere!!"  
  
Quickly Bakura explained what had happened in the cargo hold, much to everyone's shock.  
  
"The luggage just fell off the shelf?!" Tea cried.  
  
"I'm not an expert on ships," Tristan said slowly, "but I don't think that's supposed to happen."  
  
"I know it's not," Bakura replied firmly, then blinked. "Are you saying that you think someone purposely did something to make it happen?!" he cried.  
  
"There should be some kind of net restraining the luggage from falling." Seto, who had been mostly silent for quite some time, spoke up. "Someone could have removed it."  
  
"But why would they want to?" Bakura exclaimed.  
  
No one could answer that.  
  
"How's your yami?" Tea asked suddenly.  
  
Bakura glanced back inside the room. "He says he's fine, but I know he's in pain," the boy said softly, turning back to face his friends. "As soon as I opened the door he stumbled in and laid on the couch. I think he's asleep right now."  
  
"I'm sure he'll be alright," Yugi said comfortingly, and Bakura smiled weakly.  
  
Suddenly the phone rang and the brown-eyed boy hurried to answer it. "Hello," he said slowly, wondering who on earth would be calling him.  
  
The answer was not pleasant. "You and your friends better stop meddling in affairs that don't concern you," a cold voice warned, "or this will be one cruise you will never want to remember!" 


	5. Strange Discoveries

Bakura was horrified. "Who is this?!" he demanded, but the caller had already hung up.  
  
"Was that someone threatening us?" Tea asked worriedly.  
  
Bakura nodded. "I'm afraid so," he sighed.  
  
Joey didn't look impressed. "Well, they'd better watch out if they wanna mess with us," he vowed, "'cause we'll show 'em a thing or two!"  
  
Bakura decided that he needed to tell the others about the strange men he had seen in the cargo hold. He told about the guard's unusual appearance first.  
  
"Not a very responsible guy," Tristan remarked, "to just walk back out like that. He should've gone in to see if everyone was alright."  
  
"Something definitely seems strange," Yugi agreed, his violet eyes narrowing.  
  
Bakura then went on to tell about the other man who had came in. "He seemed to be looking for someone," the boy mused, telling of how he had muttered, "He is near" and then had left.  
  
"Or maybe runnin' from someone," Joey suggested.  
  
"I suppose he might have been," Bakura said slowly, "but he didn't really seem like he was on the run."  
  
"You say both of these men were Egyptian?" Yugi asked suddenly.  
  
Bakura nodded, blinking in confusion. "Yes," he told him.  
  
"Can you describe them to me?" Yugi sounded serious.  
  
Bakura paused, thinking. "Well," he said finally, "I didn't really get a good look at the guard because he just stayed in the doorway, but he seemed to be tall and lean, and he had piercing, dark eyes." He paused. "The second man was wearing Egyptian robes and a turban, and he had earrings and blue eyes."  
  
Yugi seemed to be heavily weighing this information.  
  
"What's on your mind, Yug?" Joey asked.  
  
Yugi didn't answer immediately. After another moment of pondering, he looked back at Bakura. "Was he wearing an ankh around his neck?" he wanted to know.  
  
Bakura blinked. "I . . . I'm afraid I didn't notice," he admitted. "He may have been wearing one under his robes."  
  
"You sound like you know who it was, Yugi," Tea remarked, looking confused.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I have only a vague idea, but until I can gather more information it won't make sense."  
  
"Nothing makes sense!!" Joey protested, messing up his hair in frustration.  
  
Yugi nodded in agreement. "But the rest of you don't know the person of whom I suspect," he said.  
  
"Well, who is it?" Tea wanted to know.  
  
Before Yugi could answer, Captain Hardy came rushing past, looking preoccupied and agitated.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" Joey asked.  
  
Captain Hardy turned to look at them. "Your friend is awake," he reported, "and his sister says he has some very interesting things to tell me. You all may wish to come along and hear as well."  
  
"We sure as heck would!" Joey declared.  
  
"You all go along," Bakura said. "I really should stay here with my Yami until he's feeling better."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Alright. Make sure to keep your door locked," he instructed.  
  
"I certainly will," Bakura exclaimed with a shudder.  
****  
After Marik again recounted his experience, Captain Hardy agreed most heartily that the guard should be watched.  
  
"I can't imagine who he was talking to on the phone," the man said, shaking his head.  
  
"Can you think of anyone who may be holding a grudge against you or perhaps a member of your crew?" Yugi asked gently.  
  
Captain Hardy shook his head. "I can't," he admitted. "This is all a terrible disaster! Someone could be seriously injured if this keeps going on!"  
  
"I promise you, Captain, that we will bring the culprits to justice before that happens," Yugi vowed solemnly.  
  
Captain Hardy looked at him, and for the first time all evening he seemed to relax. "Thank you, Yugi," he said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're just like your grandfather—always helping others."  
  
Yugi blushed, looking embarrassed.  
  
"I'm going to start the interactive mystery at breakfast tomorrow," the Captain continued.  
  
"That sounds good," Tea nodded.  
  
Joey slammed his fist into his palm. "And we'll be working undercover to catch these crooks!" he declared.  
****  
After the meeting in Marik's room the teens said goodnight and all went their separate ways.  
  
Mokuba looked up at his older brother as they walked down the long corridor. "Seto, what kind of business did you come here on?" he asked curiously. "I haven't heard you trying to make appointments with anyone."  
  
Seto sighed and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "Actually, kid, I'm still trying to track down the embezzlers from KaibaCorp," he explained. "I know that a while back I thought Vivalene might have been involved, but now I don't think she was the only one who was. I did some research and found that several of my employees skipped town with more of the money from the company's accounts—and they got on this cruise ship."  
  
Mokuba looked worried. "Then you're already trying to solve a mystery!" he exclaimed.  
  
"I'm afraid so," Seto agreed, "but I should have it wrapped up in a day or two."  
  
Mokuba threw his arms around Seto as they paused in front of their stateroom door. "I know you can teach them a thing or two, big brother," he said fervently, "but please be careful!"  
  
Seto smiled tenderly. "I will be," he promised, hugging Mokuba back and then unlocking the door.  
****  
As Yugi and his Yami headed for their stateroom, they passed by the wrecked library and both paused to survey the extent of the damage.  
  
"The Captain had no idea who would do such a thing," Yugi remarked, "or what they could've wanted."  
  
Yami Yugi ventured into the room slowly. "Perhaps there are some clues to be found in here," the ancient Pharaoh remarked. "We should investigate before he sends someone to clean things up."  
  
Yugi followed, glancing about for anything that could be important. "But we also can't rearrange things," he said. "We might disturb evidence that way."  
  
Yami Yugi nodded. "I realize that," he assured the boy, stepping carefully over a stack of fallen books and knickknacks. "Hmm? What's this?" He bent down and carefully removed a small satchel from the chaos without disturbing the surrounding volumes.  
  
Yugi gasped. "I don't think that's supposed to be here!" he declared. "The vandal must have dropped it!"  
  
Yami Yugi's eyes narrowed. "In that case, we must be very careful," he said, quickly placing it in his pocket and indicating that no more was to be said about their find until they returned to the safety of their room.  
  
After a thorough scan of the room, the two hadn't uncovered anything else strange and were preparing to head out when Yugi made a discovery of his own.  
  
"Look at this!" he cried, lifting a gold, Egyptian-style earring up to the light.  
  
Yami Yugi stared at it. "That looks familiar," he remarked.  
  
Yugi nodded. "I know of only one person who wears earrings like these," he said slowly, and he could tell that his Yami was thinking the same thing. "He must've been the second person Bakura saw!" The boy paused. "Now we just need to figure out what he was doing in here. I'm sure he wasn't the vandal!"  
  
Yami Yugi nodded and turned to leave. "I'm certain you're right, Yugi," he said. "Tearing a room apart doesn't quite seem his style. Perhaps he encountered the vandal and they had a struggle."  
  
Yugi quickly followed his friend out the door and back down the hall, confused thoughts swirling through his mind.  
****  
When they arrived back at their room, Yami Yugi checked around to make certain they were alone and then pulled the satchel out of his pocket. "Now we need to see what our vandal was carrying with him," he remarked.  
  
"We'll need to tell the Captain what we found," Yugi reminded the Pharaoh as he began undoing the drawstrings keeping the bag closed.  
  
"We should see what's in here first," Yami Yugi replied, dumping the contents onto Yugi's bed.  
  
"What is it?" Yugi asked, coming over for a better look.  
  
Yami Yugi just looked perplexed. "They seem to be golf balls," he said, picking one up for inspection.  
  
"Golf balls?!" Yugi said in disbelief, but he could definitely see that that's what they were.  
  
Yami Yugi shook his head. "Somehow, I have a hard time picturing either our vandal or the keeper of the Millennium Ankh carrying golf balls," he said with a wry smile.  
  
Yugi had to chuckle.  
****  
As Joey and Tristan walked down the hall, they met up with the same two girls who had been playing ping-pong earlier.  
  
"Hello!" the first one chirped.  
  
Tristan, girl-crazy as usual, smiled in a Romeo way and walked up to her. "Hello," he said, taking her hand. "I'm Tristan Taylor. Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?"  
  
The girl smiled back at him. "Brittany Carver," she introduced. "My friend here is Jeannette Travis." She looked worried. "I've been hearing about everything that's going on tonight. I hope no one's going to get hurt. . . ."  
  
Joey looked from Brittany to Jeannette. "I don't suppose either of you girls saw anyone suspicious hanging around?" he wanted to know.  
  
"No one," Jeannette said grumpily. "If you asked me, this whole thing is a big prank."  
  
"Well, if it is, it sure is a sick one!" Joey cried, his eyes narrowing. "But I didn't ask you. Why be so testy?"  
  
Jeannette's expression didn't lighten. "You don't like it? Tough." She turned to go.  
  
"Jeannette!" Brittany scolded angrily. "Why do you have to have a bad attitude about everything?!"  
  
Jeannette only shrugged.  
****  
"I can't believe you're still solving mysteries," Mai said to Tea as they walked down the hall, shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
"I can't believe it either," Tea replied ruefully. "No matter how we try to get away from them, they just seem to keep finding us!" She sighed. "For once I wish we could just have some peace and quiet!"  
  
As they approached a corner, Tea suddenly stopped and motioned for Mai to do the same. Two people were talking just around the bend in hushed tones, and Tea wanted to hear what they were saying.  
  
"Everything will go according to plan," the first one grumped. "Don't worry so much!" He paused. "Now, we can't keep talking here. Go get yourself back to the dining room before someone realizes you're gone!"  
  
"I'm goin', I'm goin'," the second one growled, and footsteps were heard as they each went their separate ways.  
  
Mai turned to look at Tea. "I'm going to say that was probably not a good sign. Am I right?"  
  
"Unfortunately," Tea sighed.  
****  
Mokuba was having a strange dream. He was standing in a thick mist, waiting for Seto to come. Suddenly he saw a dark form emerging from the shadows and start searching through a chest of drawers that had magically appeared next to him.  
  
"Who are you?" Mokuba cried. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
The man turned to look at the boy and abruptly Mokuba snapped out of his dream—only to discover that it wasn't just a dream. A strange man was bending over his bed! 


	6. Encounter

**Thanks to Redemmo, I have fixed a bad error. XD; Saying "The Ishtars and Rishid" was a big boo-boo, since of course Rishid is really an Ishtar!

* * *

**

Mokuba's eyes narrowed as the man came closer. "Get away from me!!"

Seto stirred and sprang up from the next bed over, hearing the noise. Narrowing his eyes angrily, he grabbed the man's arm fiercely and twisted it.

Undaunted, the man grunted and pulled free, throwing Seto back against the wall.

"Big brother!!" Mokuba wailed, seeing the older boy slump to the floor. Furiously he snatched a nearby vase and broke it over the man's head.

"You little punk!" the man snarled, reaching out to try strangling the boy.

Unbeknownst to him, Seto had now recovered and was coming up behind him. He wrenched the man's arm again, this time squeezing a pressure point and causing him to scream in pain.

"If you lay a finger on him, I'll drop you where you stand," Seto threatened.

The man cursed the Kaiba brothers hatefully and then suddenly jumped out through the nearby porthole.

Quickly Mokuba clicked on the light as Seto ran to look out the open window. "Big brother, is he . . ."

"He's vanished," Seto grumbled, relieved that the man was gone but annoyed that he couldn't be questioned now.

The older boy closed the window and turned to look at his brother. "Are you alright, kid?" he asked softly. Blood trickled down his left temple, but he didn't seem to notice.

Mokuba did, however. "I'm fine, Seto . . . but you're bleeding!" he cried in horror.

Seto pulled him close. "It's alright," he whispered, smoothing Mokuba's hair back. "It's just a scratch." He sighed. "It must've happened when he threw me back against the wall," he decided.

They stayed that way for quite some time, embracing and being relieved that they were safe, until suddenly there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Is everything okay in there?" a concerned voice called.

"Someone broke in!" Mokuba called back.

"Are they still there?" the voice demanded.

"No," Seto answered sternly, "but who are you?!"

"First mate Chris Knox," was the reply. "Your lady friend heard the commotion as she walked down the hall and came to find me when she couldn't get anyone to answer her worried yells."

"Are you two alright?!" Tea now cried frantically.

With a sigh and a rueful smile, Seto walked over and opened the door—which was already unlocked—and came face-to-face with the worried girl. "We're both fine," he assured her emotionlessly.

Tea's blue eyes widened at the sight of the blood, but she tried not to gasp in alarm. "Kaiba, you're hurt!" she exclaimed.

Seto grunted. "I'm fine!" he growled forcefully and then turned to First Mate Knox and explained in detail what had happened.

"Could either of you see what this burglar looked like?" Chris asked, going to look out the porthole.

"It was dark," Seto said coldly. "We couldn't see."

"Do you think he jumped into the water?" Mokuba asked, wide-eyed.

"He just might have done that," Chris agreed, "especially since your brother rendered one of his arms temporarily useless and he wouldn't be able to climb anywhere." He turned to go, then stopped. "I'm going to go topside and see if we can see anyone out in the water or under it." Now he paused. "But can either of you think of any reason why he would come into your room?"

Seto and Mokuba exchanged a look. There were lots of strange things happening, but neither of them had really been involved. "No," Seto said at last.

Chris nodded and then left, leaving the young people to ponder on things.

"What are you going to do?" Tea asked in concern.

Seto turned to go into the bathroom. "I'm going to clean up this cut and then put Mokuba to bed," he said shortly, disappearing from the room.

Now Mokuba looked up at Tea and smiled. "Thanks for coming by," he said.

Tea smiled back. "I'm just glad you're both okay," she told him.

Mokuba paused, apparently trying to choose his words carefully. "You know, I think that Seto really is glad that you care," he said at last, catching Tea completely by surprise.

"Huh?!" she exclaimed. "Why would you say that?"

Mokuba shrugged and didn't really answer the question. "I know Seto hates to be fussed over and everything, but deep down he knows that we're just worried about him and that we care about him, and he appreciates that."

Tea gave him a funny look. "I don't know why you're telling me this and I probably don't want to know."

Now Mokuba grinned broadly. "I know you like him," he proclaimed mischievously.

"That's ridiculous!" Tea shot back, turning beet red.

She was spared from answering further as Seto came back into the room. His long bangs were damp from washing the blood out of them and Tea could see a bandage over his left temple. "You don't have to stay now," he said firmly. "We're fine."

Tea nodded, turning to go. "I'll see you both tomorrow," she said softly as she went out the door.

* * *

The next morning everyone began to meet in the dining room at breakfast time.

"Hi, Yugi!" Tea chirped, waving to the violet-eyed boy and hurrying over to him. "Did everything go okay for you last night?"

Yugi nodded, smiling at her. "Yami and I made some interesting discoveries in the library," he said, "and Captain Hardy wants us to show them to him after breakfast."

"That sounds mysterious," Tea commented.

Yugi chuckled now. "Some of what we found was pretty weird," he told her, "but that's all I'd better say about it for now."

Bakura came in a few minutes later and sat down at the table as well. "Hello," he said with a soft smile.

"Bakura!" Tea exclaimed, happy to know that another of her friends was okay.

"How's your Yami?" Yugi asked.

Bakura blinked worriedly. "Actually, I was hoping you'd seen him," he admitted. "He wasn't around when I woke up this morning."

"Well," Joey said as he and Tristan came up and overheard the last part, "knowin' Yami B, he's probably causing some kinda trouble."

Bakura sighed. "I do hope not," he said, shaking his head.

Before long the Ishtars had joined them as well and they all resumed discussing the case.

"Where is Mokuba?" Marik wanted to know.

Tea blinked, looking around. "I don't see him or Kaiba anywhere," she said worriedly. "I hope they're okay. . . ."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Joey wondered, leaning back on his chair.

Quickly Tea explained what had happened the past night while everyone listened, wide-eyed.

"Man, I can't imagine why someone would go bustin' into their room," Joey declared, shaking his head. "That's weird!"

"Everything seems to be weird here," Tristan remarked.

"Oh, I think I see them," Bakura said suddenly. "They're sitting over at a corner table."

Joey shrugged. "Eh, well, that's Kaiba for you," he said. "He doesn't like to hang out with us any more than he ever did."

Tea nodded but then was quick to add, "But he's always there when you really need him," remembering more than one occasion when Seto had put his own life on the line to rescue them from certain death.

Bakura got up slowly. "Well, I'd best go find Yami," he said now, looking nervous.

"But you haven't had anything to eat yet!" Yugi exclaimed.

Bakura shook his head. "I should find him first," he said. "There's really no telling what kinds of disasters he might be getting into." And with that the silver-haired boy hurried off.

Before long Captain Hardy got up on the stage and greeted everyone.

"He must be gonna announce about his interactive mystery thing," Joey decided.

Sure enough, the Captain then went on, "I'm sure all of you have seen the fliers around announcing about the interactive mystery we'll be playing." He held up a white envelope. "There will be one of these underneath your glasses of water. It explains what the case is and who the suspects are. There will also be a slip of paper telling you what kind of character you will be playing. You are all trying to solve the mystery, but at the same time one of you is the criminal we'll all be looking for."

The teens all looked at each other and then found their own envelopes to look at.

Yugi started to laugh. "It says that I'm a football star," he said.

"And I'm a rich heiress," Tea chimed in.

"And Joey's a college professor," Tristan smirked.

"Heeeey," Joey said defensively. "I could teach a college class anyday!"

Marik looked at Joey's paper. "But one in astrophysics?" he said dryly.

"Sure I could!" Joey blurted.

Seto, overhearing the conversation, looked over at Joey with a raised eyebrow and a "dream on" look in his eyes. Mokuba just looked amused.

"Do you think Kaiba's gonna play the game?" Joey asked teasingly.

"I doubt it," Yugi chuckled.

"What about you, Tristan and Marik?" Tea asked. "What characters did you guys get?"

Tristan grinned. "I'm a lifeguard. I get to watch all the pretty girls at the swimming pool."

Marik shook his head. "I don't know if I'll play. It's not really my thing," he admitted.

"Oh come on, Marik! It'll be fun," Yugi tried to encourage.

Marik idly played with his envelope. "We shall see," was all he would say.

"Hey," Tristan said suddenly, "do you think he's gonna play?"

Everyone turned to see who Tristan was pointing at, only to see a mysterious-looking Egyptian man disappearing around a corner.

Yugi jumped up. "He must've been the one Bakura saw in the cargo hold!" he exclaimed.

"Yugi, what are you doing?!" Tea demanded, seeing her friend start weaving around the tables.

"I've gotta catch up to him!" Yugi called back.

The others teens looked at each other and stood up as well. "We'll all follow him!" Joey declared as they ran off.

As they all dashed down the corridors, they tried desperately to keep up with Yugi, who was running extremely fast.

"Hey man!! Wait up!!" Joey yelled, starting to breathe heavily.

Yugi barely heard them. He was concentrating solely on catching up to the Egyptian man and wasn't even quite aware that his friends were following him.

"Where are you?" the boy called, looking down two different paths in frustration.

Try the left one, Yami Yugi suggested, and Yugi complied.

Soon the Egyptian man again came into view. He was walking determinedly down the hall and seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go.

"Wait!" Yugi called again. "Please wait!!"

The man turned, his eyes interlocking with Yugi's for one brief moment. Then he turned and vanished into seemingly thin air.


	7. Light of Ill Fortune

Notes: Just the usual, friendly, "this-is-not-yaoi" reminder ^_^  
  
  
  
Yugi stood still in disbelief and then Yami Yugi came out to look around as well. "Where could he have gone?" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know," Yami Yugi said, shaking his head.  
  
"Hey Yug!!" Joey yelled as he and the others finally caught up.  
  
Yugi turned to look at them, blinking. "Oh hey," he said finally, lost in thought.  
  
"Earth to Yugi," Joey remarked, waving a hand in front of Yugi's eyes.  
  
Yugi snapped back to the present. "Oh. Sorry," he apologized, smiling embarrassedly. "I saw that Egyptian man a few minutes ago."  
  
"Was he . . . who you thought he was?" Tea asked.  
  
"Yes," Yugi nodded firmly. "He turned and looked at me and we recognized each other." He paused. "But then he . . ."  
  
"He vanished," Yami Yugi finished.  
  
Joey blinked. "'Vanished'?" he repeated in disbelief. "Yug, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"We're both fine," Yami Yugi replied.  
  
"Maybe he's some kind of ghost, like you are," Tristan suggested to the Pharaoh.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "No, he's not a ghost. . . . But he has some kind of magical powers."  
  
Joey paused, considering this. "Eh, he's a good guy . . . right?" he asked nervously.  
  
"He is," Yugi assured him. "His name is Shadi. I don't know much about him, but I know he's working to overcome the forces of evil."  
  
"Does that mean that there are forces of evil on this ship?" Tristan wondered.  
  
"Of course there are!" Joey cried. "Just look at all the weird things that're happening!"  
  
"But Shadi can't be everywhere at once," Tea pointed out. "There must something extra dangerous going on here for him to make an appearance."  
  
"That is what I fear," Yami Yugi admitted. "I must find Shadi and speak with him."  
  
"Well, he doesn't seem to want to talk to you or to Yug," Joey commented, "judging by the way he pulled the disappearing act on you."  
  
Yugi sighed. "I know, but I have to find him!" he said in determination.  
  
"Could he have gone through a trapdoor?" Marik suggested suddenly.  
  
"I guess so," Yugi said slowly, "but when I met Shadi before, he was able to suddenly vanish in front of me, so I'm sure that's what he did again now."  
****  
As Bakura walked down the long corridors, looking worriedly for his missing Yami, he suddenly heard the sounds of pool balls clanking into each other and he paused to look in the nearby room. He was completely bowled over to see Yami Bakura leaning over the pool table, a concentrated smirk on his face as he examined it.  
  
"Yami?!" Bakura exclaimed in disbelief. "What on earth . . ."  
  
Yami Bakura looked up. "I'm playing pool," he interrupted. "What does it look like I'm doing?!"  
  
Bakura came in, still looking confused. "Have you been doing that all this time, Yami?" he asked.  
  
"Of course not, you idiot," Yami Bakura snapped. The truth of the matter was that he was watching for a strange person he had observed earlier, and he was only playing pool while he waited.  
  
Bakura was used to his Yami's insults by now, but he still felt a bit sad since he had only been worried about the thief's safety. "Are . . . are you alright?" he said hesitantly.  
  
"Perfectly alright," Yami Bakura growled. "Now go away before you get into trouble."  
  
"But Yami . . ." Bakura started to protest.  
  
"GO!" Yami Bakura snapped.  
  
With a sad sigh, Bakura turned and left.  
  
Yami Bakura watched him shuffle out, muttering to himself in Egyptian. He could see that the boy was sad that he'd been treated so harshly, but he didn't want the person he was tailing to wind up seeing Bakura. It was for the boy's own good that Yami Bakura had routed him out. He would get over it. He always did. "Stupid mortal," the thief grunted.  
****  
Seto and Mokuba, meanwhile, were still in the dining room talking about the mysteries—the real one and the made-up one as well.  
  
"Won't you play the game, Seto?" Mokuba pleaded. "It sounds really fun!"  
  
Seto smiled tenderly at him. "I really don't have the time for games, kid," he said softly, ruffling the younger boy's hair.  
  
Mokuba looked up at him sadly. "But we hardly ever get to spend time together just for fun anymore," he sighed. "You're always so busy and everything! . . ."  
  
Now Seto sighed, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry about that, Mokuba." He paused. "Tell you what—I'll make time to play the game with you."  
  
Mokuba brightened. "Really, big brother?"  
  
Seto chuckled. "Sure, kid," he said softly, pulling him close.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba," a voice said suddenly.  
  
Both boys looked up to see Captain Hardy coming towards them. "Yes?" Seto asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Pardon me, but have you seen Yugi Muto?" the Captain wanted to know, looking nervous.  
  
Seto shrugged. "He went chasing after someone a few minutes ago," he reported.  
  
Captain Hardy sighed. "I see. Well, thank you for your help, sir," he said, turning to go.  
  
"That was kinda odd," Mokuba commented when he and Seto were alone again.  
  
"Everything seems to be odd around here, kid," Seto replied, glancing around and suddenly noticing two of his wayward employees coming in through the door. Quickly he grabbed Mokuba's hand and hid around a corner. He couldn't let them know he had followed them here, especially with Mokuba around. He wasn't going to endanger his precious brother's life.  
  
"What is it, Seto?" Mokuba asked, looking confused.  
  
Seto sighed. "It's the snakes I'm chasing," he explained. "They can't see us." Cautiously he led Mokuba out a back way and down the hall.  
  
"What are you gonna do, Seto?" Mokuba exclaimed.  
  
Seto turned a corner and unlocked the door to their room. "I'm leaving you here, kid," he said firmly. "I'm not going to expose you to any possible dangers."  
  
Mokuba looked up at him. "Are you gonna go kick them into next week, Seto?"  
  
Seto chuckled. "I just might have to," he said.  
****  
In the meantime, Yugi and the others had searched everywhere for Shadi—but to no avail. The Egyptian man had seemingly vanished from existence.  
  
"We must've searched the entire ship!" Joey cried in frustration several hours later.  
  
"He has to be here somewhere," Yugi replied, but he was getting discouraged himself.  
  
That's when Bakura came over to them from around a corner. "Who are you looking for?" he asked. "I'd be happy to help if I could."  
  
"Oh Bakura," Tea said, "Yugi saw one of the Egyptian men you encountered yesterday. He was chasing him down the hall when the man suddenly disappeared!"  
  
Bakura blinked. "Another disappearing act? Oh my."  
  
"Did you find your Yami?" Tristan wanted to know.  
  
Now the silver-haired boy nodded. "Yes, I found him," he said, but didn't elaborate.  
  
"Is he okay?" Tea asked, knowing how worried Bakura had been about him.  
  
"Yes," Bakura said again. "He's fine."  
  
"Are *you* okay, Bakura?" Yugi asked now. "You seem kind of sad."  
  
Bakura smiled weakly. "Oh no . . . I'm alright. I'm just rather . . . tired," he finished at last.  
  
"Did that creep snap at you again?" Joey demanded.  
  
Bakura blinked. His friends knew him all too well. "Oh, he . . . he was just quite preoccupied," he said softly, never liking to speak ill of anyone.  
  
"Hey, we all know how cruel he is," Tristan said.  
  
Before anyone could say more on the subject, a voice called out angrily nearby.  
  
"No, Rex Raptor! I've told you—I'm not going to duel you!!"  
  
With that, Mai Valentine stormed out from a recreation room looking furious.  
  
"What happened?" Joey asked.  
  
Mai whirled to face him. "Oh, that Rex is so annoying!" she declared. "He still can't accept the fact that I beat him and had the nerve to challenge me to a re-match!"  
  
Joey shrugged. "Actually, you probably weren't playin' fair when you defeated him, were you?" he asked teasingly, knowing that that would've been around the time when Mai still played using her perfume tricks.  
  
Mai tossed her head. "I could defeat him even without my tricks!" she said hotly. "But it would just be a waste of my time." With that she walked away.  
  
The teens looked at each other and sighed.  
  
Yugi gasped suddenly. "I forgot all about the Captain!" he exclaimed.   
  
"Oh man, that's right!" Tristan realized.  
  
"We were supposed to meet him after breakfast," Marik chimed in. "Good Heavens, it must be almost lunch time by now!"  
****  
They found the Captain in his quarters, and Yugi immediately apologized for the delay.  
  
"Oh no, it's quite alright," Captain Hardy assured him after explanations were made. "There wasn't anything you could have done under the circumstances."  
  
Yugi went on to briefly tell again how he and his Yami had come across the strange items in the wrecked library and then slowly pulled the satchel out of his pocket. "This is what we found," he said, opening it slowly.  
  
Everyone gathered around to stare at the multi-colored golf balls inside.  
  
"What in the heck?!" Joey cried, taking several of them out to stare at.  
  
Yugi chuckled. "That's what we thought, too," he admitted. "But I figured they had to be important somehow."  
  
"Maybe they're hollow," Tristan suggested, causing Joey to bang one of them on the wall.  
  
"Doesn't look like it," the Brooklyn boy said in frustration.  
  
"Very strange," Captain Hardy commented, shaking his head.  
  
"And then I found a gold earring, which I'm certain belongs to one of the men Bakura saw yesterday," Yugi continued, holding it out.  
  
Bakura stared at it. "Yes, the man I saw was wearing earrings like that," he said.  
****  
They stayed and talked with the Captain for a while, but no one was able to shed any light on the bizarre occurrences, so they left soon after.  
  
"Maybe we should relax for a few hours and work on the fake mystery," Yugi suggested. "We could use a break from all this running around."  
  
Tea, who was walking ahead of the others, was about to agree when she noticed Seto coming down the corridor determinedly. "What's going on, Kaiba?" she demanded, grabbing his arm.  
  
Seto looked at her. "I have some business to take care of," he said coldly.  
  
"It's dangerous, isn't it?" Tea asked softly.  
  
Seto honestly had no idea whether it would wind up becoming dangerous or not, but he had the feeling that it definitely could. "I can handle it," was all he said aloud.  
  
"You always say that!" Tea cried in frustration.  
  
"It's the truth," Seto muttered, disappearing into another room.  
  
"I wonder what he's up to," Yugi commented.  
  
"And I wonder where Bakura just went," Tristan exclaimed.  
  
"Bakura's gone?!" Tea cried in disbelief.  
  
Sure enough, the silver-haired boy had vanished without a word.  
****  
Bakura, meanwhile, had been walking along behind the others when he had suddenly seen a strange golden glow and had found himself almost hypnotized by it. Slowly he moved toward it, unable to tear his gaze away.  
  
"That's right," an eerie voice remarked as the boy got closer. "Come, my friend."  
  
Bakura came right up to the light and stared at it, his brown eyes wide and vacant.  
  
Now the eerie voice began whispering things to him, giving him commands and orders. Bakura listened intently, all the while still staring into the light.  
  
Finally the light dimmed and Bakura snapped out of his trance, looking confused. "Where . . . where am I?" he gasped.  
  
"On the ship," the voice hissed from the shadows. "You have your orders. Now go!"  
  
Without a questioning word, Bakura turned and left. 


	8. Unusual Behavior

Yami Bakura was still playing pool when he heard someone come up behind him.  
  
"Yami?"  
  
The thief whirled around to see Bakura standing there, looking angry.  
  
"What is it now, you fool?" Yami Bakura snapped. "I told you to stay away from here!"  
  
Bakura stepped closer, his eyes flashing. "Yami, I'm tired of your insults!" he cried furiously. "And I'm tired of you telling me what to do. You are not my father! You have no right to order me around like your mind slave!"  
  
Yami Bakura felt slightly amused. "Ah, so you do have a backbone," he commented with a smirk.  
  
Bakura fumed, grabbing the thief by his shirt and yanking him forward. "I'm serious, Yami," he said in a dangerously low tone. "If you don't start treating me better, you will have to face a power far more threatening than anything you can conjure up!" With that he shoved the tomb raider backwards across the pool table and stormed out.  
  
Yami Bakura stared after the boy, suspicion starting to show in his eyes. Bakura's tirade had been humorous at first, but his last comments gave the thief a strange feeling. The boy would never threaten anyone; that kind of behavior just wasn't like him at all. Something was amiss.  
****  
Seto, meanwhile, was hiding behind a column in the dining room, trying to overhear what his employees were talking about.  
  
"Are you sure this is gonna work?" the first asked. "I mean, Kaiba's probably got wise to us by now."  
  
"He's a kid," the second one retorted. "You can't expect a teenage kid to be right all the time. Heck, he's probably still chasin' after that Vivalene person thinkin' that she's the only one behind the embezzling."  
  
"Vivalene's dead," the first one stated flatly. "Kaiba knows that." He leaned back in his chair. "And all we have to do now is find her secret hideout, collect her share of the money, and add it to what we've already got."  
  
Seto, listening in and recording the conversation with a miniature tape recorder, decided that now was not a good time to confront them. He would wait until they left the dining room and then come upon them in the hall.  
****  
"Where could Bakura have gone?" Yugi said in confusion, looking around worriedly.  
  
"Hey," Tea exclaimed suddenly, "isn't that him over there?" She pointed ahead to where the silver-haired boy was playing pinball in one of the recreation rooms.  
  
Quickly the teens ran over. "Bakura!" Joey cried. "Where the heck have you been?!"  
  
The boy looked up, blinking. "Oh, around," he said vaguely.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" Tristan asked, seeing a odd look in the other boy's eyes.  
  
"Quite alright," Bakura said with a smile. "And I think I'm ready to play this mystery game." He held up his own envelope. "Why don't we go back to Yugi's room and read over the rules?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," Joey shrugged. "I'm tired of workin' on the real mystery. Maybe solving a fake one will give us some ideas."  
****  
Before long the teens all had gathered in Yugi's room while the boy read the instructions in the envelope aloud.  
  
"It says here," he told them, "that we just go up to various people on the ship and try to find out more about their characters and where they were during the robbery. Some will have alibis and some won't, just like in a real mystery. And some of the others will eventually get around to questioning us," he added.  
  
"It sounds easy enough," Tea said slowly.  
  
"It also says that there will be twists, turns, and dangers," Yugi read on.  
  
"Real dangers?" Joey's eyes went big.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "They couldn't do anything that would endanger anyone. It will only look real," he tried to explain.  
  
"So we should just go out and start questioning people?" Bakura said slowly.  
  
"I guess so," Yugi said, folding the paper up again and replacing it in the envelope. "Or we could visit the crime scene." Though he was trying to be cheerful and to concentrate on something fun, he couldn't stop thinking about the real mystery they needed to solve. He hoped that maybe they would meet up with Shadi while they were playing the game and be able to talk to him.  
  
Tea couldn't seem to concentrate on the game either. She was worried about what Seto might be getting into. She knew the boy was perfectly capable of handling problems—like he always said he was—but she also knew that he often encountered ruthless criminals and got himself hurt fighting with them. "Lamebrain," she whispered softly, wishing that Seto wouldn't always take so many chances.  
  
Joey blinked. "Did you say somethin', Tea?" he asked.  
  
Tea snapped back to the present. "Oh . . . it was nothing," she replied with a shrug.  
****  
It wasn't long before the two KaibaCorp employees got up and headed for the door. Seto perked up, his eyes narrowing as they went into the hallway. Now he would follow after them. He waited until they had reached a more deserted corridor before revealing his presence.  
  
"Gentlemen."  
  
The two men whirled around as their boss addressed them coldly.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Seto Kaiba," the second one sneered. "I never expected to see you on board."  
  
"What I do with my time is none of your concern," Seto replied, stepping closer. "Unless, of course, it involves your treachery."  
  
The two men looked at each other, then back at him. "What are you talking about, sir?" the first one asked innocently.  
  
Seto wasn't impressed. "I'm not as dumb as you seem to think I am. I know that you're mixed up in the whole embezzlement scheme and that you're going to collect the money that Vivalene already embezzled before. But as long as I'm around, that's not gonna happen." He crossed his arms and faced them sternly.  
  
"This isn't really the place to settle things, is it?" the second man said with a sneer, seemingly undaunted at Seto's knowledge of their plans.  
  
"You know we're older and stronger than you are," the first one chimed in.  
  
Seto stood his ground. "Age isn't everything. And I certainly do not intend to let you get away with your crimes." He paused. "But if you do something to me, everyone on this ship will know it and then you'll have no way of escaping."  
  
"I told you he was gonna find out about our embezzling!" the first one muttered.  
  
The second man was still unconcerned. "We have the advantage. If you try any funny business, Kaiba, your brother gets it." He pulled out a gleaming knife.  
  
Seto wrenched the man's arm around. "Don't even think about threatening Mokuba," he hissed.  
****  
Mokuba, meanwhile, was waiting in the room like Seto had wanted—but he wasn't happy about it. He wanted to be able to help his brother fight the embezzlers and was just about to head out to do just that when the telephone rang.  
  
"Who would be calling here?" he said aloud as he picked up the receiver. "Hello?"  
  
There was a long silence, but Mokuba could hear breathing on the other end.  
  
"Look, if this is a crank call, I'm hanging up!" Mokuba said firmly.  
  
"Is your brother there?" a nasty-sounding voice spoke up at last.  
  
Mokuba blinked and then his eyes narrowed. "Why should I tell you anything?" he said defensively.  
  
"You'd better tell me," the voice hissed.  
  
"Not until you tell me who you are!" Mokuba shot back.  
  
There was another long pause. "That's not important."  
  
"If you won't identify yourself, I won't tell you anything about my brother," Mokuba retorted, feeling annoyed.  
  
"Alright," the voice said finally. "Just tell your brother that Darby is on the line."  
  
Mokuba took a deep breath. "Seto's busy. I'm taking messages for him."  
  
"Then also tell your brother that he's getting in over his head," Darby said and then hung up.  
  
Mokuba sat back, his gray eyes wide and frightened. What did it mean? Was Darby good and sending a warning, or was he bad and sending a threat? And was Seto really going to be overwhelmed chasing down those embezzlers, or was it just Darby's opinion?  
  
Too many questions. Mokuba wanted to find Seto immediately. He wondered if his brother had his cell phone with him and he was about to try calling him on it when he heard the sound of the doorknob turning.  
  
"Seto?" the boy called hopefully, but there was no answer. Whoever was coming in was not his brother—and they were probably up to no good. Mokuba had to hide . . . and fast!  
****  
Yugi and the others, meanwhile, had been playing the mystery game for a couple of hours now—but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't seem to get their minds off the real mystery.  
  
"Man, this is ridiculous!" Joey cried in frustration. "I can't stop thinking about Shadi and the golf balls and all these other weird things!!"  
  
"I'm sure you will find the answers you seek," Bakura said calmly.  
  
Joey blinked. "Aren't you seekin' for them, too, Bakura?" he asked.  
  
Bakura shrugged. "I have all the answers I need."  
  
"For Pete's sake, Bakura!" Tristan burst out. "If you know what's going on, why don't you clue us in?!"  
  
"Oh, I never said I knew what was happening here," Bakura replied smoothly. "I only said that I have all the answers I need."  
  
Yugi stared at the silver-haired boy. "Are you sure you're okay, Bakura?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Tea chimed in. "I mean, you've been acting kind of strange ever since we found you at the pinball machine."  
  
"Oh really?" Bakura didn't look fazed. "I hadn't noticed."  
  
"If something's bothering you, pal, you know you can tell us," Tristan said.  
  
Bakura stood up to get a soda from the vending machine. "That's very kind, I'm sure, but I can't imagine why anything would be bothering me," he answered.  
  
"You just do not seem yourself today," Marik spoke up, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.  
  
"How odd. I feel perfectly like myself." Bakura chuckled softly as he began to drink the soda.  
  
The other teens exchanged looks. It was obvious that Bakura had changed since they had last seen him—but what could have happened?  
  
Now Bakura threw the empty can into the garbage and turned to go. "Well, I must be off," he said.  
  
"Where are you going, Bakura?" Yugi said in surprise.  
  
Bakura shrugged. "Oh . . . I have to meet with someone. It's nothing that you need to worry about."  
  
"But you didn't tell us about any meeting," Joey declared.  
  
"I didn't feel that I needed to," Bakura replied as he disappeared down the hall.  
  
The teens stared after him.  
  
"Something is definitely wrong," Tea said at last. "Bakura doesn't normally act like this!"  
  
"I know," Yugi nodded in agreement. "There's only one thing to do—we have to follow him!"  
  
Quickly and quietly the teens crept down the hall after their elusive friend. Bakura turned around a corner and then around another one, and then he stopped and stood still in front of a porthole.  
  
"What's up with him?" Joey wondered low. "Do you think maybe that's really his Yami and not Bakura at all?!"  
  
"I guess it's possible," Yugi admitted, watching Bakura curiously. The other boy had now brought his hands together and was humming in a low, steady tone.  
  
"Man, he's freaking me out!" Tristan cried.  
  
"Shhh!" Tea scolded, elbowing him sharply.  
  
Suddenly a bright light glowed around Bakura and he vanished abruptly, just as Shadi had earlier! 


	9. The Situation Becomes More Serious

"No way!" Joey cried. "I couldn't have just seen what I thought I did!"  
  
"Then we're all hallucinating, because I saw it too," Tristan said grimly. "Bakura disappeared into thin air!"  
  
"He could never do that before, even when it was his Yami in control and not really Bakura himself," Yugi remarked. "Whatever happened to change Bakura like this, it must have happened during the time before we found him playing pinball."  
  
"Do you suppose his Yami did something to him?" Marik suggested.  
  
"It's possible," Yugi said slowly, "except for one important factor—no matter how hard Yami Bakura tries to deceive us, I find it quite obvious that he is fond of Bakura. I don't see what he could have done to him or why he would do it. No," the boy decided now, "I don't think Yami Bakura is responsible at all."  
  
"Then who the heck is?!" Joey cried in frustration.  
  
Yugi turned to go. "In order to get any answers, we must find Shadi," he declared grimly.  
  
Marik suddenly paused. "I forgot," he said slowly. "I was to meet Ishizu back at her room quite some time ago. She said she had something important to tell me."  
  
"Then you'd best go speak with her," Yugi told him. "Perhaps she, also, can shed some light on this puzzling case."  
  
Marik soon left, and as the other teens continued on down the hall, the sounds of a vicious struggle became louder and more intense.  
  
"Someone's fighting!" Tea exclaimed in horror.  
  
A pitiful scream echoed throughout the corridor and the teens all jumped.  
  
"It's Kaiba!" Tea shrieked now. "Oh, he's hurt!"  
  
Quickly the young people dashed down the winding halls until they came upon the fight scene and stood still in shock. Seto was flipping a dangerous-looking man over onto the floor, while at the same time trying to get the upper hand against a second man who was grabbing him from behind and trying to strangle him. Angrily the boy reached for the man's arms and wrenched them away from him. "You'll never get the better of me," he vowed, squeezing hard on the man's wrists.  
  
"Stop! Stop!! You're cutting off the circulation!" the man screamed.  
  
"Looks to me like Kaiba's doin' okay for himself," Joey shrugged, wincing at the man's pain.  
  
Seto glared at his captive. "Agree to turn yourself in and I'll let go."  
  
The man continued to struggle. Now an evil grin spread across his face. "Of course, Mr. Kaiba," he said smoothly, abruptly kicking the poor boy right in the stomach.  
  
Seto cried out in agony and released his grip. The man sneered and hit him hard over the head before grabbing his friend and turning to run in the opposite direction.  
  
Immediately Yugi stepped out and stood in their path. "Just where do you think you're going?" he said sternly.  
  
"Getting away from that kid," one of the men replied. "He's a dangerous monster! We were just minding our own business when he started following us and decided he wanted to get into a fight!"  
  
"You're lying," Yugi replied stonily. "Seto Kaiba wouldn't go around picking fights. We all saw what was really happening."  
  
Tea knelt down next to the battered boy, who had slumped against the wall and was looking dazed. "That's right!" she agreed firmly, then turned her attention to getting a response from her friend. "Kaiba?" she whispered urgently, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Oh please . . . open your eyes!" She suddenly gave a cry of alarm as blood trickled onto her hand from a cut on Seto's neck.  
  
"He picked a fight with us," the other man insisted, quite unconcerned that the boy had been hurt.  
  
Seto groaned now, struggling to regain his bearings. "I'm not unconscious," he muttered to Tea. His blue eyes flew open and he stumbled to his feet, glaring at the two liars he had been fighting with.  
  
"You okay, man?" Joey asked.  
  
Seto grunted and didn't answer. "You treacherous snakes," he growled, pointing his forefinger at the men. "You drew a knife on me and threatened to harm Mokuba if I didn't just let you go about continuing your criminal activities!"  
  
"He lies!" the men cried indignantly.  
  
"We believe our buddy, not you creeps," Joey said, glaring at them. "You want a piece of me?!"  
  
Seto held Joey back. "This is my problem, Wheeler," he said, moving forward. "I'm not going to allow these slime to get the better of me!"  
  
One of the men moved forward as well and tried to punch Seto harshly, but the boy grabbed his arm and wrenched it around. When the other man came in for the attack, Seto punched him hard on the jaw, delivering a knock-out blow.  
  
"Now see here!" an angry voice cried. All the teens looked up to see the stern, uniformed man from earlier coming towards them. "Brawls aren't allowed on this ship! Who started this?!"  
  
"He did!" the one man cried, pointing at Seto and struggling to pull free from his grip.  
  
"He's lying!" Tea cried indignantly.  
  
"You're all giving me a headache!" the uniformed man grumbled.  
  
"Hey, who are you, anyway?" Tristan demanded.  
  
"Robert Webb, head of security," was the reply. "And will someone tell me what in the name of Heaven is happening?!"  
  
Seto's eyes narrowed. "These men are—were—my employees. They were embezzling money from my company and trying to escape. I recorded them discussing their plans, so no amount of lying will help them now." He glared at them both, annoyance evident in his eyes. "Then they pulled a knife on me here in the hall and I had no choice but to defend myself."  
  
"He's a teenage brat! Don't believe him!!" the conscious criminal growled.  
  
Webb rolled his eyes. "I've heard enough. You and your friend apparently just don't know when to give up," he said to the embezzler.  
  
"We don't have to give up," the man sneered in reply. Chanting something in another language, he and his friend both vanished!  
  
****  
  
Mokuba, meanwhile, had managed to pry the grid off the ventilation shaft and climb in just before the intruder got the door open. Now he watched, his heart pounding wildly, as a Egyptian man came in and looked around furtively.  
  
"No one is here," he declared to someone else, and then Mokuba gasped in utter astonishment as Bakura peeked in.  
  
"What do you wish me to do?" the boy asked.  
  
The man shrugged. "You know what my ultimate goal is. How convenient it is that all of the Millennium Item holders are traveling on this ship!" he said with a nasty smirk. "You, my friend, should go find them and bring them to me."  
  
"Of course," Bakura nodded, leaving the room.  
  
Mokuba watched in disbelief. This couldn't be right! Bakura would never be helping someone to collect all of the Millennium Items! He knew he had to catch up to the boy and find out what was going on . . . but how could he leave this strange man in the room? And what would the man want? Neither Mokuba or Seto was a Millennium Item holder.  
  
The strange man continued to wander about the room, but eventually he seemed satisfied that there was nothing inside to interest him and abruptly left.  
  
Now Mokuba hurried to climb back out of the ventilator. He had to go find someone who could tell him what was happening—and fast. If Bakura was hypnotized or something, they had to do something to snap him out of it.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura wandered through the corridors, looking into every room he came upon for the missing boy. "What a dolt," he muttered. He had already tried to connect with Bakura through their mental bond, but the boy was obviously ignoring him. Something had drastically changed Bakura since early that morning when Yami Bakura had routed him out of the pool hall, and now the old thief had a feeling that the boy may be being controlled by a dark force—but why? What would someone want with Bakura? He didn't know . . . but he did know that he needed to find that boy before something else happened.  
  
****  
  
The teens and Webb stared at the spot where the two men had been standing only moments before. Where could they have gone?  
  
After a moment Webb shook his head and turned to go. "I've been having a long day," he muttered, deciding that everything had probably just been a hallucination.  
  
Seto growled in irritation. The next time he encountered those two criminals, they wouldn't be so lucky as to escape. He would make sure of that.  
  
"Seto!!" a familiar voice cried now, and everyone turned as Mokuba came running up and embraced the older boy.  
  
Seto blinked in surprise. "Mokuba," he said softly, "what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the room!"  
  
Mokuba looked up at him. "It's not safe in there, either, big brother!" he exclaimed, telling of the strange phone call and how that man had broken in.  
  
"That's terrible!" Tea said, her eyes wide.  
  
"And that's not all," Mokuba continued shakily.  
  
"What is it, kid?" Seto asked now.  
  
Haltingly Mokuba explained of Bakura's presence and odd behavior. "I . . . I don't know what was wrong with him," he said slowly, "but he was gonna go find the other Millennium Items for that guy."  
  
"What?!" Tristan and Joey cried in disbelief.  
  
"No way would Bakura be doin' something like that!" Joey declared.  
  
Yugi was very grim. "Someone is obviously here who possesses great and terrible powers," he said slowly, "and they are apparently using Bakura as their minion."  
  
"Poor Bakura," Tea said softly, her eyes shining worriedly.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Tristan wondered.  
  
Yugi headed off down the hall. "We need to find Marik and see what Ishizu wanted to talk to him about. And we also need to find Shadi, now more than ever."  
  
Joey looked completely frustrated. "Why can't anything ever make sense around here?!" he cried.  
  
Now Mokuba looked up at Seto worriedly. "Oh, big brother, are you hurt?" he cried.  
  
Seto smiled at him tenderly. "No, kid." By now he had managed to clean the worst of his injuries from the fight—a minor stab wound—and was looking pretty much presentable again.  
  
"And how in the heck did those crooks manage to disappear?!" Joey burst out now. "That's four different people who've vanished mysteriously today!"  
  
Yugi shook his head. "It's all a puzzle," he admitted. "And I don't like the way the pieces are fitting together."   
  
****  
  
Marik slowly opened the door to his stateroom and went in. Ishizu hadn't been in her room when he'd arrived, much to Marik's surprise. The boy was hoping that Rishid might be around and could tell him where she was, but his brother didn't seem to be anywhere in the room.  
  
"Rishid?" Marik cautiously advanced deeper into the room, feeling an odd sense of unease. Someone was here who obviously shouldn't be.  
  
The Egyptian boy clicked on the light, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Who is here?" He picked up a blunt object to use as a weapon.  
  
No sounds came from anywhere in the room, but Marik still felt another presence nearby. "Reveal yourself to me!" the boy cried threateningly.  
  
"As you wish," a soft voice replied, and without warning something hard and heavy struck Marik on the head before he could do a thing about it. The boy groaned, crumpling to the floor and knowing no more.  
  
****  
  
Bakura stood over Marik's prone body, the Millennium Rod held tightly in his hand. "I am sorry, my friend," he apologized. "But I am no longer the kind, innocent Bakura you knew. I follow a different path now—and soon I will be the most powerful person history will ever know!" 


	10. New Captain?

As the other teens walked along, Yugi suddenly paused and stared ahead. "There is something else we could try instead of just walking around the ship all day in search of Shadi," he declared.  
  
"What is it?" Tea asked.  
  
Yugi turned to head for the Captain's cabin. "Perhaps Captain Hardy can tell us if there is anyone on board by the name of Shadi, and if so, what his room number is. I know that's normally against regulation, but under the circumstances it might be allowed."  
  
"Well, then let's go for it!" Tristan cried, slamming his fist into his palm.  
  
"Let's split up," Yugi directed. "I'll go with Joey and Tristan, and Tea, you go with the Kaiba brothers. You look for Marik and Bakura, and we'll try to find the Captain."  
****  
As Yugi's group approached the Captain's quarters, they met up with a very annoyed-looking Rex Raptor.  
  
"What's eatin' you?" Joey asked. "Did Mai refuse to duel you again?"  
  
Rex growled in irritation. "That's beside the point." He glared at the blonde boy. "That friend of yours is acting weird!"  
  
Instantly Yugi and the others perked up. "Do you mean Bakura?" Yugi demanded.  
  
"Yeah, that British one," Rex confirmed.  
  
"Well, what the heck did he do?!" Tristan cried.  
  
"He isn't the innocent kid I thought he was," Rex replied. "He crashed into me and then told me to get out of his way. Then he paused and said, 'Soon you will bow before me when I am your ruler!'"  
  
"What?!" Joey cried. "You've gotta be kidding me!"  
  
"That's what he said," Rex insisted. "And then he walked off muttering something about creating a disturbance!"  
  
"How long ago was this?" Yugi wanted to know.  
  
"Just ten or fifteen minutes ago," Rex told him.  
  
"Are you absolutely certain it wasn't Bakura's Yami?" Yugi asked now.  
  
"Positive!" Rex replied. "It was Bakura."  
  
"Sometimes his Yami pretends to be him," Tristan pointed out.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I'm afraid that this time he's not," he said gravely. "Most likely it truly was Bakura." He turned to face Rex again. "Where did he seem to be going?"  
  
"I don't know!" Rex cried in annoyance.  
  
"It's very important that we find him," Yugi said. "Bakura isn't himself right now. He has been possessed by a great evil and he might hurt someone . . . or even get hurt himself."  
  
"I don't know where he was going," Rex insisted. "But he was creeping me out!"  
  
"Man, I don't blame you!" Joey exclaimed.  
****  
Tea and the Kaiba brothers, meanwhile, had found Marik's room and Mokuba was knocking on the door. "Marik?" he called. "Are you there?" Upon not receiving an answer, the boy turned away, puzzled.  
  
Seto went to Ishizu's room next door and knocked, but no one came to her door either.  
  
"That's odd," Tea remarked. "Didn't Marik say that she had something important to tell him?"  
  
Seto nodded curtly. "And I doubt she would tell him anyplace where there might be a crowd."  
  
"But where would they be?" Tea wondered.  
  
"Here's Ishizu and Rishid now," Mokuba said suddenly as the two Egyptians approached.  
  
Ishizu nodded a greeting. "I have foreseen your coming," she stated.  
  
"Where's Marik?" Mokuba demanded.  
  
"Unfortunately, that I do not know," Ishizu said gravely.  
  
"We hoped that he was still with you," Rishid spoke up.  
  
Tea blinked. "All we know that he left about an hour ago to find you and Ishizu," she said. "And he mentioned that you had something important to tell him," she added, turning to the blue-eyed woman.  
  
"That is true," Ishizu agreed as she turned to look at the door to Marik's room. "But all of you would profit from what I have learned."  
  
Now Seto looked at the door as well. "Did your brother leave the light on when he left?" he asked Ishizu.  
  
"No, he did not," Rishid answered for her.  
  
"Then someone's been in his room since then," Seto announced, pointing to the strip of light underneath the door.  
  
Ishizu narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps someone has broken in," she said, quietly unlocking the door. "We must proceed with caution."  
  
Both Rishid and Seto prepared for a possible battle as their group entered, but no one seemed to be in sight.  
  
"If anyone came in, they must have gone by now," Tea remarked.  
  
A low moan came from behind the couch and everyone froze.  
  
"Marik?" Ishizu called worriedly, running over.  
  
Slowly the injured boy rose up, clutching at the bump on his head and opening one eye to look around. Ishizu and Rishid rushed to his aid, helping him to stand.  
  
"Master, are you hurt?" Rishid cried worriedly.  
  
Marik tried to say no, but he found himself too weak to do anything except shake his head.  
  
"Can you speak, brother?" Ishizu asked in concern as she and Rishid gently laid him on the couch.  
  
"Yes," Marik managed to say.  
  
Now Mokuba ran up to him, his gray eyes shining worriedly. "What happened to you, Marik?" he gasped.  
  
Marik closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "Someone hit me," he reported.  
  
"Hit you?!" Tea cried. "Who would hit you?!"  
  
Marik looked at her sadly. "It was Bakura," he said softly.  
  
"Bakura?!" everyone else repeated in disbelief. Bakura hadn't changed *that* much . . . had he?  
  
Marik nodded grimly. "He snuck in here and struck me on the head—and I am certain that he took my Millennium Rod."  
****  
Captain Hardy stared at the teens thoughtfully. "You want to look at the passenger lists?" he demanded.  
  
Yugi nodded. "That's right. We must find Shadi at all costs. Our friend is being controlled by a dark force and Shadi might be the only one who will know how to help him."  
  
The Captain held the door to his office wide open. "By all means. Come in, my friends, and we will check the computer's records."  
  
Yugi, Joey, and Tristan walked through the doorway and over to the desk, where Captain Hardy had already started a search through the registration lists for anyone named Shadi.  
  
"Nothing is showing up," the man said slowly. "If he's here . . ."  
  
"Hey, we know he's here," Joey interrupted.  
  
Captain Hardy nodded. "If he's *registered*," he corrected himself, "he's using a bogus name."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I don't think he would do that."  
  
"Then he must be a stowaway," Captain Hardy sighed.  
  
Yugi smiled wryly. "I'm afraid I can picture that," he said. Shadi was a good man, but he sometimes made entrances that didn't quite conform to the rules.  
  
At that moment there was another knock at the door.  
  
"Now who could that be?" Captain Hardy mused.  
  
"Captain Hardy?" Tea called.  
  
Quickly the Captain went over to the door and opened it. "Why, come in, everyone," he said with a surprised smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"  
  
Seto stepped out from the newly-arrived group, his arms crossed over his chest. "We have some rather disturbing news," he said.  
  
"And Ishizu says she's talked with Shadi!" Mokuba put in.  
  
The Captain's eyes opened wide. "Well, let's hear the disturbing news first and get it over with," he suggested.  
  
Marik then repeated the tale of what had befallen him earlier while Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Captain Hardy listened in shock.  
  
"I can't believe Bakura would do that!" Tristan cried.  
  
Yugi sighed. "You must remember, Tristan, that Bakura never would—if he were in control of his mind and body." He turned to Ishizu. "This is getting more serious with every passing minute, it seems. I do hope your conversation with Shadi has brought good news."  
  
"And how the heck did you meet up with him, anyway?" Joey exclaimed.  
  
Ishizu smiled. "I was just leaving the dining room when I encountered him coming out of a room down the hall. We recognized each other and he then explained his presence there in hopes that I would be able to help him."  
  
"Well, for Pete's sake, what did he say?!" Joey burst out.  
  
"Patience, Joseph," Ishizu scolded, then paused. "He said that he was looking for a thief who had stolen a very dangerous artifact dating back to five thousand years B.C. in Egypt, and that he had it on good report that the man he was looking for had boarded this very ship."  
  
"What kind of artifact?" Yugi asked, intrigued.  
  
Ishizu paused. "He said it was the staff of an evil high priest," she replied.  
  
All the teens exchanged looks. "Seth's staff?" Joey wondered aloud, blinking.  
  
"Seth's staff is at the bottom of a lake!" Tea reminded him.  
  
"He did not say who the staff belonged to," Ishizu said slowly, "but I am certain that the man who stole it is using it to control Bakura."  
  
"Where is he staying, sister?" Marik asked.  
  
"He does not have a room," Ishizu said, but Yugi had already come to that conclusion after seeing the computer's records.  
  
"Well, then how the heck are we gonna meet up with him?!" Joey wondered.  
  
"He said he will meet us in the dining room at dinnertime," Ishizu replied.  
  
Seto glanced at the clock. "It's almost that now," he observed.  
  
"Then what're we waitin' for?!" Joey exclaimed, leaping to his feet.  
  
Captain Hardy was about to follow them when his phone rang sharply. "Excuse me for a moment," he apologized, picking up the receiver. "Hello, Captain Hardy." He tensed, obviously receiving some very disturbing news. "I'll be right there," he promised, hanging up.  
  
"What is it, Captain?" Yugi asked.  
  
Captain Hardy sighed and dashed to the door. "You all go on to the dining room," he said. "There's some kind of crisis that I have to take care of."  
  
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Tea asked.  
  
"No," the Captain replied with a smile. "It's just captain's business. Don't you all go worrying about it." And with that he was gone.  
****  
Yami Bakura was getting irritated. He had been all over the entire ship with no luck. And his Millennium Ring didn't seem to be working either—it wasn't letting him track Bakura down.  
  
A new thought occurred to him. Perhaps their mental bond was purposely being blocked by someone, and perhaps this person had also made it impossible for Bakura to be tracked. Yami Bakura was certain that with the right amount of dark powers such a thing was possible.  
  
"You pathetic creature," he muttered angrily, but it was unclear whether he meant Bakura or the person who was most likely controlling him.  
  
The old thief eventually made his way to the dining room and looked around. People were starting to crowd at the tables, preparing to eat dinner, and Yami Bakura observed them all with annoyance.  
  
"Hey you," he heard a voice say, and abruptly a hand was laid on his shoulder.  
  
"What is it?" he demanded, whirling around and coming face-to-face with Mai Valentine. Both of them became startled.  
  
"I . . . I thought you were Bakura," the girl said, taking a step back. She had met up with Yugi and the others a few minutes ago and had been told that Bakura was acting strange and had gone missing.  
  
Yami Bakura's lip curled in frustration. "Well, I am not," he growled, turning away.  
  
"Hey Mai!" Joey called as he entered the dining room. "Who've you got there?"  
  
"It's Yami Bakura," Mai replied.  
  
Soon Joey and the others had made their way over to them and selected a nearby table to sit at.  
  
Tristan looked Yami Bakura over suspiciously. "It wasn't you who stole the Millennium Rod earlier, was it?" he demanded.  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes went wide for a brief moment, then narrowed once more. "No, it was not," he replied grouchily. Bakura wouldn't have done that . . . would he?  
  
"Then it really was Bakura," Tristan said in disbelief, seeing that Yami Bakura was honestly startled to hear the news of the theft.  
  
Yami Bakura growled irritably. What in the name of Heaven had happened to that boy?!  
  
The ship rocked suddenly, sending everyone into confusion.  
  
"What's happening?!" Tea cried as she was thrown into Seto's arms.  
  
The PA system crackled, just as it had the previous night, and a voice came on. A soft British voice.  
  
"Hello, this is your captain speaking. We're only encountering a spot of bad weather. Nothing to be concerned about. Feel free to go about your normal activities."  
  
Everyone began talking amongst themselves.  
  
"That didn't sound like the Captain!" Tea exclaimed. She suddenly became aware that Seto had caught her and she pulled away in embarrassment, blushing wildly.  
  
"I didn't know the Captain was British," someone at the next table over muttered.  
  
"That wasn't the Captain," Seto said stonily, narrowing his eyes and voicing what all of them knew to be true. "That was Bakura." 


	11. Tense Turmoil

As the teens puzzled over how Bakura would wind up in the captain's quarters using his speaker, a grim-faced man approached them. "Your friend has changed much," he commented.  
  
Yugi looked up, blinking. "Shadi!" he exclaimed.  
  
The Egyptian man nodded slowly.  
  
"What can we do to help Bakura?" Tea blurted.  
  
Shadi looked grave. "Before I can answer that, I must inform you more about this staff that was stolen." He glanced around. "But this is not the place to converse."  
  
"Well, why don't we go somewhere we can?" Yugi said.  
  
Before Shadi could answer, the ship gave another, more powerful jolt, causing tables to overturn, glass pitchers to break, and the passengers to go sprawling everywhere.  
  
"I don't like this!" Mai cried.  
  
"Big brother!" Mokuba screamed, pitching forward. Instantly Seto reached out and caught him, pulling the younger boy close.  
  
"What the heck's goin' on?!" Joey cried as he began slipping back to the other side of the dining room.  
  
"Someone, perhaps your friend Bakura, has taken over the ship," Shadi replied, looking extraordinarily calm considering the circumstances. "And it is quite probable that they have no knowledge on how to steer it."  
  
All around them the passengers screamed and toppled over each other, sending the eating utensils flying. Suddenly the lights flickered and went out, plunging everything into darkness.  
  
It wasn't long before everyone became separated in the melee.  
  
"Yugi? Joey? Where are you?" Tea screamed, abruptly crashing into Seto and causing him to grunt in irritation. "Kaiba?" Tea said softly, just as the ship jerked again. She let out a shriek as she started to fly backwards.  
  
Seto sighed loudly. "Stay with me," he muttered, grabbing her and pulling her against a wall along with Mokuba.  
  
"What are we going to do, big brother?" the little boy wailed.  
  
Seto held him close. "It'll be alright," he said soothingly. He actually wanted to go find Bakura and try to stop all this nonsense, but at the moment he didn't see how he could possibly leave Mokuba.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura, meanwhile, wanted the same thing—to stop Bakura. He stumbled through the crowds—bothersome mortals, he thought—and over to the door, using his Millennium Ring to guide him. He would get Bakura back, he vowed, telling himself that he needed the boy in order to take over the world.  
  
Yugi, who was nearby, stumbled over a table. Shadi extended a hand to help the boy stand again.  
  
"Events are moving too fast," the Egyptian man declared. "We must move quickly to keep up with them."  
  
**He is right,** Yami Yugi said grimly from inside the Millennium Puzzle, **but I sense much danger here. Things will not be as simple as just finding Bakura.**  
  
~I was afraid of that,~ Yugi said sadly.  
  
****  
  
As Joey wandered blindly through the darkness, he suddenly fell across the same trapdoor that Marik had found earlier. "Hey, help!" he cried, frantically trying to grab on to something, anything to keep him from descending through the hole.  
  
"Hang on, buddy!" Tristan yelled, running over to pull his friend up.  
  
The ship gave a tremendous lurch without warning, sending both Joey and Tristan into the trapdoor.  
  
"Oh man," Tristan moaned as they tumbled over and over down the slide, "why didn't we ask the Captain why he has this weird entrance to his cabin?!"  
  
"Don't ask me!" Joey yelped in reply. "But this is worse than a roller coaster!"  
  
****  
  
Rishid felt frantically around, moving fallen tables and chairs out of his way as he searched for his brother. He knew Marik was not nearby, unless he wasn't capable of answering. "Master? Where are you?" he called.  
  
As he passed by a porthole, Rishid happened to glance out and notice the angry waves crashing against the hull of the ship. Apparently the weather truly was becoming bad, and if the person currently in control of the steering didn't even know how to man a ship, they could only be in for more trouble.  
  
Sure enough, the ship rocked again, sending everyone flying. There would definitely be a lot of injured people once this was over.  
  
Suddenly Rishid cried out in pain as he was thrown to the floor by a heavy cabinet and held fast.  
  
"Rishid?" The voice came from far away.  
  
The older man looked up, trying to see through the darkness. "Master?"  
  
"No. Your brother," Marik replied gently as he approached.  
  
Rishid struggled to get free. "Are you alright, Master?" he asked.  
  
Marik knelt down next to him, his gold jewelry clinking gently. "I am fine," he replied. "But you seem to be trapped, brother." He spoke calmly, but his eyes revealed his deep concern for the elder brother he loved so much.  
  
Rishid winced as he tried in vain to lift the cabinet. "I . . . I can get up, Master," he protested weakly.  
  
Marik shook his head. "You are hurt," he proclaimed. "I will help you, Rishid."  
  
****  
  
Bakura struggled frantically to keep the ship on a steady course, but he was beginning to panic as the waves became more wild and intense. He had no idea how to steer the massive ocean liner and was beginning to regret this plan.  
  
"Bakura," his master's voice said in his mind, "this is foolhardy. I never told you to do this!"  
  
Now Bakura smiled nastily. "I told myself to."  
  
"What!!" The boy's master was fuming. "You are under my control! You do whatever I tell you to!"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't anymore," Bakura replied, preparing to block out the connection.  
  
"Bakura!! Stop it!! You can't do this to me!!" the man screamed angrily, but to no avail. His plans had backfired; his mind slave had just turned against him.  
  
Bakura chuckled softly and smirked. He would still collect all the Millennium Items, but he certainly wouldn't do it for his "master"—he wanted them for himself.  
  
As the ship lurched again, the boy was thrown back against the wall and grumbled to himself. His "master" had been right about one thing; this hadn't been a very brilliant idea. It would definitely create the distraction Bakura was hoping for, but it wouldn't do him much good if he wound up injured.  
  
Bakura stood up and grabbed the Captain, who was sitting tied to a chair and under the powers of the Millennium Rod. Quickly he undid the ropes and shoved him toward the controls. "Steer the ship!" he ordered. "I have much to do."  
  
Captain Hardy nodded obediently and began adjusting the switches and levers. Bakura watched him for a moment, then released him from the Rod's powers and disappeared out the door. He did, indeed, have much to do, he thought to himself.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura approached the control room, Yugi, Yami Yugi, and Shadi following him closely. I'll deal with them later, the thief thought as he shoved the door open.  
  
Captain Hardy looked up. "Oh, hello," he said, looking a bit puzzled.  
  
Yami Bakura growled, looking around the room suspiciously. "Where's Bakura?" he demanded.  
  
"Bakura?" the Captain repeated, just as the others ran up.  
  
"The boy who looks like him," Shadi said, his eyes narrowing as he indicated Yami Bakura.  
  
Captain Hardy blinked. "I know who you mean, but I haven't seen him at all."  
  
Yami Bakura wasn't buying it. "I heard Bakura speaking on your PA system not fifteen minutes ago," he growled. "Now where are you hiding him?!"  
  
"I don't think he knows where Bakura is," Yugi spoke up.  
  
"Bakura was probably controlling the Captain with the Millennium Rod," Yami Yugi added grimly, "and now he doesn't remember it."  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes narrowed in frustration. "How long have you been here?" he asked of the Captain.  
  
"Why, ever since I left my cabin," Captain Hardy replied.  
  
"Idiot," Yami Bakura muttered, turning to head out the door.  
  
Captain Hardy was confused. "Was Bakura really in here?" he wanted to know.  
  
"He was," Yugi said gravely.  
  
"The question," Yami Yugi spoke up quietly, "is Where has he gone now?"  
  
****  
  
Seto was still up against the wall with Tea and Mokuba as the ship gave one final, dangerous lurch. Without warning, a panel in the wall opened up and all three of them fell through.  
  
Tea let out a scream as they began falling through what appeared to be a bottomless pit and grabbed onto Seto—who was holding Mokuba—tightly, not wanting to let go.  
  
After a few seconds—which seemed more like hours—the three young people crashed down on something surprisingly soft and fluffy.  
  
"That was different," Tea remarked, sitting up slowly.  
  
Seto sat up as well and loosened his grip on his little brother. "Are you okay, Mokuba?" he asked.  
  
Mokuba nodded. "I'm fine, Seto." He shivered a bit, blinking in the darkness. "It's cold down here!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Maybe we're in the basement," Tea suggested, looking through her purse for a flashlight.  
  
Seto found one in his briefcase first and clicked it on. "What the . . ." he muttered. He and the others had seemed to have crashed on a mattress in what appeared to be the cargo hold.  
  
"Someone must be sleeping down here," Mokuba exclaimed.  
  
"Maybe it's Shadi," Tea suggested as she climbed off the mattress. Seto and Mokuba followed suit.  
  
"Or it could be the guard down here," Seto mused. "Let's look around and see what we find." He began poking around the mattress, searching for any clues to the owner's identity.  
  
"This looks odd," Tea remarked, reaching down to pick up a piece of parchment that had fallen out from a slit inside the mattress.  
  
"What is it?" Mokuba asked, wide-eyed.  
  
Tea unrolled it and held it up to the glow of Seto's flashlight. "I think it's written in Egyptian hieroglyphics," she said after a moment.  
  
Seto looked frustrated. "Give it to me," he directed. "We can show it to Shadi later and see if he can translate it." Tea handed it to him and he put it in his briefcase.  
  
As the three wandered through the cargo hold, the ship rocked again and sent loose luggage flying down from that same shelf as before.  
  
"Look out!!" Mokuba cried, and Seto pulled them all out of the way just in time.  
  
"That's the same thing that happened to Bakura and his Yami," Tea cried. "Why hasn't the luggage been secured yet?!"  
  
"There's only one reason I can think of," Seto replied grimly. "Someone—the guard, most likely—doesn't want anyone coming down here for some reason, so he's fixed it so that anyone coming in is at a risk of being seriously hurt."  
  
A low growl echoed through the room.  
  
Tea tensed. "What was that?!" she asked shakily.  
  
Seto pushed both her and Mokuba back against the wall protectively. "Whatever it was, I don't like the sound of it," he muttered.  
  
Suddenly a huge, wolflike dog came charging around some fallen crates and stood in front of them, baring its teeth viciously! 


	12. Dark Egyptian Secrets

The young people stared at the dog in shock and disbelief as it began to pace back and forth in front of them, growling low.  
  
"Be careful," Seto muttered. "It might bite someone."  
  
"Where would it come from?!" Tea cried, pressing herself against the wall.  
  
"My guess is that it was traveling in one of the crates that was just thrown to the floor," Seto replied, narrowing his eyes. "Then the container shattered and the dog was able to get out."  
  
"What are we going to do, Seto?" Mokuba asked, wide-eyed as the dog came over to him.  
  
"Don't make any sudden moves," Seto cautioned. "And don't show the dog you're afraid of it."  
  
"Oh, that'll be easy," Tea remarked sarcastically, her heart pounding.  
  
Suddenly they heard a voice out near the entrance. "See here!" a man yelled angrily. "What's happenin'?!"  
  
"There's a dog loose in here," Seto replied just as angrily.  
  
"What?!" The man stormed in, then stopped short. "Why did you let him loose?!"  
  
"Let him loose?!" Tea repeated indignantly. "We didn't let him loose!"  
  
"Please, mister, can't you come get him?!" Mokuba cried.  
  
Grumbling to himself, the man moved forward with a rope and managed to drape it over the dog's head. The dog tried to turn around and snap at him, but the man kept a firm grip on it and let it away.  
  
"How would it get free?" the man demanded.  
  
Coldly Seto explained his theory and the man's eyes narrowed.  
  
"The luggage shouldn't be a-fallin' down," he declared. "And a crate with a live creature shouldn't be placed on a high shelf in the first place! What in the name of Heaven goes on around here lately?!"  
  
"That's what we'd like to know," Seto grumbled.  
  
****  
  
Upstairs in the dining room, the lights had came on again and everyone was trying to survey the damage.  
  
"This is outrageous!" Mai cried indignantly, finding herself and Rex all tangled up in a potted plant.  
  
Rex grumbled to himself and tried to pull free. "Hey, it's not exactly my idea of a dream vacation, either," he muttered.  
  
Ishizu, who had been separated from her brother, now found him trying to lift a heavy cabinet off of Rishid, who had apparently passed out from the pain.  
  
"What happened, brother?" Ishizu asked as she knelt down next to them.  
  
"This cabinet fell on Rishid during the blackout," Marik replied grimly as he wrestled with the cupboard.  
  
Quickly Ishizu assisted the boy and together they somehow managed to raise the piece of furniture just enough to get it out of the way.  
  
Now Marik bent over his dear brother and examined him in concern. "Nothing seems to be broken," the Egyptian boy said in relief. "But he should still be looked at by a doctor."  
  
****  
  
Joey and Tristan crashed down in a heap in the Captain's quarters.  
  
The Brooklyn boy groaned. "Man, that was fun," he said sarcastically. "Can we do it again?"  
  
Tristan clutched at his forehead. "Now I know how Marik felt," he declared.  
  
Suddenly the two boys became aware of nearby giggling and they both looked up to see a freckle-faced younger boy watching them.  
  
"Who're you?" Joey demanded.  
  
"Jamie," was the reply. "I'm Captain Hardy's nephew!"  
  
"'Nephew'?" Tristan repeated. "What're you doing in here?"  
  
Jamie crossed his arms. "Oh, he keeps me here," he said, "'cause I make mischief and cause trouble. Of course," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "I can sneak out anytime I want to."  
  
"Oh boy," Joey groaned, struggling to stand up and feeling dizzy. "A pint-sized brat is all we need to deal with right now!"  
  
"Hey, do you know why this tunnel's here?" Tristan asked Jamie, who shrugged.  
  
"It's always been there," he reported. "I play in it." He extended a hand. "Here, I'll help you up."  
  
Joey shook his head. "Ohhh no. I'm not fallin' for that electric buzzer gag."  
  
Jamie held up his hands for inspection. "No buzzer. See?"  
  
Tristan watched him suspiciously. "I'm not taking a chance either. You might have some other tricks up your sleeve." He collapsed into a chair.  
  
Jamie sat on the edge of the desk. "Potato chip?" he offered.  
  
Joey greedily reached for one. "Hey, sure!" He crunched down on it and suddenly spit it out again. "It's a piece of soap!" he cried.  
  
Jamie was laughing hysterically, but finally he handed over a bag of real chips. "Your expression was priceless!" he snickered.  
  
Tristan groaned. "Oh man . . . no wonder Captain Hardy doesn't want you around the other passengers," he exclaimed. "He'd get all kinds of food-poisoning lawsuits!"  
  
****  
  
"What are we going to do, Shadi?" Yugi asked worriedly. He, Shadi, and Yami Yugi were conversing as they walked down a deserted back hall that should take them back to the dining room. "How do we free Bakura from the mind control?"  
  
Shadi was very grim. "Bakura is, most likely, not being mind-controlled anymore."  
  
"What are you saying?" Yami Yugi demanded. "Bakura would not just turn evil."  
  
"You are correct," Shadi agreed, "but you do not comprehend the powers contained in the purloined staff." Convinced that no one was around who wasn't supposed to overhear, the Egyptian man began to explain.  
  
"Five thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh's most trusted sorcerer and bodyguard wanted to control the world." Shadi turned a corner and Yugi and his Yami hurried to keep up.  
  
Yugi nodded slowly. That story sounded familiar enough.  
  
"Secretly he plotted to take action against the Pharaoh," Shadi continued, "but his evil plans were discovered by another of the Pharaoh's bodyguards and the traitor was put to death.  
  
"His younger brother, one of the palace priests, later found the staff—which somehow had not been destroyed, as was originally thought—and planned to use it himself to complete its original owner's plans. However, it was then stolen by Bakare, one of the most notorious thieves Egypt has ever known."  
  
Yugi blinked. "Why did he want it?"  
  
Shadi shook his head. "No one knows for certain. But the staff disappeared not long after that and only resurfaced several years ago."  
  
"What powers does this staff actually hold?" Yami Yugi asked.  
  
Shadi turned to look at him. "It has mind-control powers similar to the Millennium Rod, but also . . . it is especially dangerous and deadly to those of great innocence, such as your friend Bakura."  
  
"What is it doing to him?" Yugi exclaimed in horror.  
  
"A dark force has taken control of him," Shadi replied gravely. "It is independent from the actual mind-controlling powers and is instead more like a possession. It takes over after the victim has been mind-controlled for a time."  
  
"What can save him?" Yami Yugi demanded as Yugi gasped.  
  
"Unfortunately," Shadi told him, "I don't know if anything can."  
  
"No!" Yugi cried, his eyes glistening with tears for his fallen friend. "There has to be a way!"  
  
Shadi looked at him very seriously. "I pray there is. But whether or not there is a way to restore him to his innocent self, you must remember that whatever Bakura says and does now, he himself is not responsible for any of it. He is forced to watch, helpless, as his body is controlled by these dark forces."  
  
"That's terrible," Yugi said softly. He looked up, the usual determination in his eyes. "But we'll get him back! And I know the real Bakura is fighting hard to regain control. He wouldn't just stand by and continue letting this happen unless he was absolutely and completely paralyzed and unable to think!"  
  
Shadi nodded slowly. "I am sure you are right. But . . ."  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, the stairwell door opened and Seto, Tea, and Mokuba appeared, looking frazzled.  
  
"What happened to you guys?!" Yugi exclaimed in horror.  
  
The three newcomers to the scene quickly explained as they resumed walking, and then Seto took the piece of parchment out from his briefcase.  
  
"We found this stuck in the mattress we landed on," the blue-eyed boy reported.  
  
"We figured it was probably something important!" Mokuba chimed in.  
  
Shadi took the parchment and stared intently at it, his expression never changing. This reminded Tea of Seto's actions many a time before.  
  
"Can you decipher it?" the girl asked anxiously.  
  
Shadi looked up. "I can," he said slowly.  
  
"Is it bad?" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
The Egyptian man nodded. "I am afraid so. It is a dark spell of unspeakable evil, most likely dating back to the original owner of the staff. But . . ." He paused, staring at it once more. "This is only half of the parchment. The other half is the counterspell, added later by the Pharaoh himself when he found what his former bodyguard had written. He couldn't destroy the spell, but he found the way to turn it around."  
  
The young people were silent for a time after hearing this, but then Yugi spoke up.  
  
"If we find the staff," he said hopefully, "is there a chance we can reverse the spell on Bakura?"  
  
Shadi hesitated. "I do not wish to give you false promises, but it may be possible," he said guardedly.  
  
****  
  
Bakura, meanwhile, was making plans of his own. He still needed a good distraction on the ship in order to carry out his plans, and so he was gathering some notorious criminals who were on the cruise for their own purposes and explaining what he wanted them to do.  
  
"It's fine with me," the boss said, a sly smile growing on his rugged face. "What you want actually fits in with our plans perfectly!"  
  
"Excellent," Bakura said softly. His brown eyes had lost their innocent sparkle and as he turned away, the Millennium Rod glowed in his hand. He wasn't going to take any chances. The criminals were under the Rod's power now. They would do what he wanted and leave him free to carry out his plans.  
  
****  
  
In the meantime, Rishid had revived and insisted that he was fine, but Marik had sent for the ship's doctor anyway. The end report was that the man was alright for the most part, but that he would probably be quite weak and sore for a few days.  
  
"Go to bed, Rishid," Marik advised as they sat at one of the few tables that hadn't overturned during the melee.  
  
"I am fine, Master," Rishid replied firmly.  
  
Marik looked at him soberly, his eyes soft. "Brother . . . please," he whispered. "You need to rest."  
  
Rishid sighed, knowing that Marik was only concerned about him. And, well, he did have to admit that he felt a bit tired. "Alright," he agreed at last, slowly standing up.  
  
Marik stood up as well, deciding to help Rishid back to the stateroom. "I will be back soon, sister," he told Ishizu.  
  
Shortly afterward, Shadi and those with him entered the dining room and looked around. By now everyone had worked vigorously to get everything back to normal and most of the tables and chairs were upright again. Those who hadn't been injured during the frightful experience were sitting at the tables, eating late dinners and talking with one another.  
  
"I sense more danger is about to happen," Yami Yugi announced grimly.  
  
"Oh no," Tea moaned. "Not again!"  
  
"Do you know what it is, Yami?" Yugi asked.  
  
Yami Yugi shook his head. "No," he told him, but before he could say more a creepy voice came over the PA system.  
  
"Greetings to all you fellow passengers!" it said. "We hope you're enjoying yourselves, because things are gonna get wild. We're takin' over and there ain't nothin' you can do about it!"  
  
"The ship's been hijacked!" Tea cried in horror. 


	13. Plans

Everyone just stood in shock, disbelief written on their faces. After everything else that had happened, the ship was being hijacked?! It seemed too horrible to really be true!  
  
"Did Bakura cause this?" Mokuba cried.  
  
"It's a possibility, I'm afraid," Yami Yugi replied. "But these hijackers could be acting independently as well."  
  
"But what would hijackers want on a cruise ship?!" Mai exclaimed, coming over to them. "We're not carrying any precious treasures or anything like that."  
  
All around them people were beginning to panic and attempting to run for their rooms.  
  
"Now, now," the voice scolded smoothly, apparently watching everything from a security camera video, "just do what we want and no one gets hurt!"  
  
"And what we want," a second voice chimed in, "is for all of you to stay where you are. We can see your wild panicking, but everyone who tries to leave the dining room will be . . . punished harshly."  
  
Suddenly, from various spots all over the room people began standing with guns in hand. Several horrified screams immediately sounded from different tables, but Tea only clutched at Yugi's arm in alarm.  
  
"This is very bad," Yami Yugi remarked, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"That's an understatement," Mai said. "Now we're all trapped in here!"  
  
Seto looked immensely annoyed at this latest disturbance and he pulled Mokuba close. There had to be a way out of this, he thought grimly.  
  
Ishizu sat still at her own table, no expression visible on her face, but she was relieved that Marik and Rishid had gotten away before this had happened. She knew, however, that if either or both of them heard about it, they would try to help. As one of the gunmen approached her table, the Egyptian woman said a quiet prayer that everyone would be alright.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura stopped short when he heard the hijackers' announcement and growled. "Bakura, you imbecile!" he cried angrily, turning to run down another hall. He wasn't sure where the boy would go, but he did know that Bakura was after the other Millennium Items and was, most likely, behind the hijacking.  
  
Suddenly he caught sight of silvery hair vanishing around a corner and he perked up. "Bakura?" he called, but of course he didn't get an answer. Muttering in vexation, the thief began to follow the boy down a dark corridor.  
  
****  
  
The man who had been mind-controlling Bakura listened to the news of the hijacking with interest.  
  
"Foolish boy," he hissed. "Your plan may help you, but it will also help me. If everyone is distracted for you to carry out your plans, I can carry out mine as well!" He smirked. "And my cohort will have the revenge he wants on the Captain."  
  
He turned to go. His first priority would be to eliminate Bakura and take the Millennium Rod from him. Then he could go about securing the other Millennium Items as well. The man cackled evilly as he went out the door.  
  
****  
  
Tea tensed as one of the gunmen began heading in their direction. "What do we do now?" she wondered worriedly.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, Seto had had a short conversation with Mokuba and the younger boy had just vanished behind a potted plant to scan the room for some means of escape.  
  
"Just do what they want, for now," Shadi told Tea.  
  
Mokuba watched, his heart pounding, as the hijacker led Seto and the others away at gunpoint. "Seto's counting on me," the younger Kaiba said softly. "I have to get out of here and cause some kind of distraction that'll free everyone!"  
  
As he glanced about, feeling panicky, he suddenly discovered a ventilation grate low to the floor about three tables away. If he could only reach it . . .!  
  
Praying for help, Mokuba dove under the first table and watched from there. The other two tables were both occupied and, to his horror, one of the gunmen was seated at one of them. This would be potentially very hazardous. If Mokuba made the wrong move, he knew he could risk his brother and everyone else being injured. Was this the only possible way out of the room?  
  
Yes, he knew then, it was.  
  
As he looked at the next table over, he saw Ishizu there and got an idea. Now if he could just figure out how to sneak a message to her without anyone seeing . . .  
  
And then the answer came to him.  
  
Quickly he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a brief note on it explaining his problem, then carefully and precisely he folded it into a paper airplane. Judging his aim, the boy let the plane fly low enough so as not to be seen by any of the hijackers as it soared under the next table and struck Ishizu sharply on her leg.  
  
The woman looked down, sensing the importance of this odd occurrence, and casually dropped a paper napkin over the plane. She then picked up both napkin and airplane and unfolded Mokuba's creation under the tablecloth. Her blue eyes darted over the frantically scribbled words.  
  
Ishizu—  
  
I'm under the next table over.  
  
I havta get to the air grate  
  
so I can get help, but I can't  
  
reach it without that guy seeing me!  
  
Can you help me?  
  
—Mokuba  
  
Now Ishizu looked up with a secretive smile. She knew what to do.  
  
The Egyptian woman stood up, walking over to the next table and moving some of the chairs that were sprawled precariously around. She carefully and precisely arranged them so that Mokuba could slip out from under the table and crawl under the chairs to the next table.  
  
"Hey!" the gunman yelled in annoyance. "What the heck are you doin'?!"  
  
"I cannot stand a clutter," Ishizu replied calmly, continuing to rearrange the chairs once she knew Mokuba was safely under the next table.  
  
"Yeah?" Just as Ishizu had predicted, the gunman stood up from his own table and came over to her. "Well, that's gonna be the least of your worries when I'm through with you!"  
  
Mokuba used this opportunity to slip under the table. Now the air grate was right there for him to climb into. He just prayed that Ishizu could keep the man distracted for another minute or two!  
  
Ishizu continued to look unruffled. "I don't take kindly to threats," she said, putting each chair in its proper place at the table.  
  
"Yeah? Well lady, right now I hold your life in my hands," the gunman hissed, making a move as if to point his rifle at her. "I could kill you in an instant!"  
  
"But you won't." Ishizu finished what she was doing and turning to face him. "I have foreseen it."  
  
"What?!" The gunman started to laugh. "I like you, lady. You've got spunk!"  
  
Ishizu snuck a glance at the air grate out of the corner of her eye and saw that Mokuba was climbing into it. He was able to get away. Please stay safe, she said silently.  
  
****  
  
Rishid had just fallen asleep when the hijacker announcements came over the loudspeaker. Marik, sitting on the edge of his own bed, jumped in shock. "What the devil . . ." His lavender eyes narrowed. "Ishizu," he said softly.  
  
After making certain that his brother had dozed off, Marik crept to the door and eased it open. Slowly the boy snuck into the hall, closing the door behind him, and tried to decide what he could do. He could get to where the leader was and force him somehow to call off his goons in the dining room . . . but that might be too risky.  
  
What if he caused a blackout? No, in the confusion some of the hijackers might start shooting and someone would be hurt or even . . .  
  
He shook his head. He couldn't do anything to risk endangering anyone, especially Ishizu and Mokuba, who were most likely still in the room.  
  
Perhaps the best thing he could do under the circumstances would be to try calling the Coast Guard for help on the ship-to-shore phone. Now if he could just find the radio room. . . .  
  
Suddenly a terrifying gunshot rang out from inside the dining room and Marik felt dizzy. "Please," he prayed, tears flying from his eyes, "don't let anyone have gotten hurt!"  
  
****  
  
Joey and Tristan were still with Jamie in the captain's quarters. The mischievous boy was now subdued and worried about his uncle.  
  
"We've gotta find him!" he cried. "He wouldn't just let someone come and hijack his ship, so he must be hurt somewhere!"  
  
"Hey, don't worry, kid," Joey said comfortingly, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Everything'll be fine."  
  
Tristan paused and blinked. "Did anyone hear what I just heard?"  
  
Joey turned to look at him. "And that would be what?"  
  
"It sounded like someone's moving through the ventilator system!" Tristan cried.  
  
Joey snorted. "What? That's crazy!"  
  
"That's what it sounded like," Tristan insisted.  
  
Jamie looked around wildly and then hurried to collect various items into a bag.  
  
"What've you got there?" Joey asked, confused.  
  
"My 'fighting bad guys' kit," Jamie responded distractedly. "We're gonna need it to fight the hijackers."  
  
Joey exchanged a look with Tristan. "Oh boy. . . ."  
  
****  
  
The gunman sneered at the hostages as he fired a bullet into the air without warning. "See that?" he said, pointing to the hole in the ceiling. "That could've been any one of you! Now settle down right now or you'll see just how good I am with my aim."  
  
"This is terrible!" Tea fretted. "We have to do something!"  
  
Seto grunted. "Mokuba already is, but in the meantime I'm not gonna stand around and wait to be used as target practice." He took out a small device and held it under the table.  
  
"What's that?" Yugi asked quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation.  
  
Seto didn't answer at first. It was actually a tiny, hand-held computer, and he was attempting to hack into the ship's computer and do something to confuse their enemies. He wouldn't know exactly what he could do until he saw a blueprint of the ship's interior and its devices. Then he smirked, getting an idea. He knew it would be risky, but just maybe it would work.  
  
Tea peeked under the table to see what he was up to. "Kaiba!" she exclaimed in disbelief, realizing that he was hacking into the computer system.  
  
Seto paid her no heed as he pressed a button and then clicked "Enter."  
  
Without warning, loud, jazzy music began playing at its highest volume and everyone jumped a mile high.  
  
"Where's that racket coming from?!" one gunman screamed, cursing vilely.  
  
Quickly Seto snapped his computer shut and hid it in his coat pocket. He then straightened up and turned to face the nearest hijacker, punching him in the face while he was preoccupied with the racket.  
  
"Come on," the blue-eyed boy directed, gesturing to Tea and the others. "They're distracted. Tea and Yugi, you two can cut through and get to that backdoor over there. Then you'll need to help get everyone out while Yami Yugi, Shadi, and I take care of the hijackers."  
  
Tea looked at him with worried eyes. "You might get hurt, Kaiba!" she cried, clutching his arm. She was worried for the others too, of course, but she knew that Yami Yugi wasn't mortal and that both he and Shadi had magical powers—but Seto was definitely mortal and he definitely did not have magical powers.  
  
Seto looked down at her. "I won't," he assured her. "Now go!"  
  
Tea still hesitated, almost as if considering whether to say something more or not, but then she decided against it and disappeared with Yugi into the melee.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura came to the end of the hall and found only a door marked "Boiler Room." Bakura wouldn't have gone in there . . . would he? The old thief snorted. In Bakura's condition, he might do anything. Quickly he opened the door and entered the room himself, glancing around the furnace and pipes in search of the missing boy. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that he was being watched, but no matter how much he looked about he couldn't see anyone.  
  
"Bakura? Are you in here, you dolt?" he called.  
  
Soon he got a reply.  
  
"Oh, I am here. But you are the dolt!"  
  
Yami Bakura whirled around and stared upwards. Bakura was perched high on a catwalk, sneering at him.  
  
"You idiot!" Yami Bakura cried. "Get down from there!"  
  
Bakura stood up, not concerned in the least about his precarious situation. "Oh, Yami, you're in worse danger than I am," he smirked.  
  
"Actually . . ."  
  
Both of them whirled at the sound of the new voice. Bakura's "master" stepped out of the shadows, looking triumphant.  
  
"Actually," he said again, "your 'Yami,' as you call him, is perfectly safe. You're the one I'm after, Bakura." He held up a vicious rifle and pointed it upward. "And you will pay for your betrayal with your blood." 


	14. Release

Notes: As always, people, it's friendship ^_^  
  
  
  
Yami Bakura growled angrily. "Now see here, foolish mortal! You've done enough to this boy already! I am the only one who can control his fate!"  
  
The man only sneered. "He's on his own now. He betrayed me when he took over the ship without my permission and blocked me out; I'm not controlling him anymore!"  
  
"You're lying," Yami Bakura snapped. "You don't know Bakura like I know him. He is the most ridiculously innocent boy I have ever before encountered. It's just not in his nature to do wrong to anyone!"  
  
Bakura, high above them both, laughed nastily. "Perhaps you don't know me as well as you thought you did, Yami." He raised the Millennium Rod over his head. "But now you shall both become my mind slaves."  
  
"Don't be absurd!" Yami Bakura hissed.  
  
At the same time, the man standing by raised his gun again, preparing to shoot. Angrily Yami Bakura kicked the rifle out of the man's hands and whipped out a card. "Chain energy!" he yelled, but before he could call upon the card's powers Bakura had hypnotized the man with the Rod.  
  
"Now," the boy cried, "get him!"  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes narrowed angrily as the man turned to face him. "You insolent cur!" he screamed at Bakura.  
  
"I told you I'd changed," Bakura replied. "What happens to you is of no concern to me."  
  
Yami Bakura snarled as he grabbed Bakura's mind slave and slammed him into the wall. The man grunted in pain and reached out to grab the thief by the neck. Quickly Yami Bakura restrained his opponent's wrists and twisted them painfully while he again pulled out his Chain Energy card and held it up. He didn't have time to deal with this nonsense now; he had to get up to Bakura.  
  
After the man was tightly bound by the chains and knocked unconscious, Yami Bakura turned his attention to climbing up to the catwalk. Once again Bakura had vanished, but he couldn't have gone far. Yami Bakura was certain that he was still in the room.  
  
"Hello, Yami."  
  
The thief whirled around on the narrow strip. Bakura was standing at the other end, and he looked very dangerous and deadly.  
****  
Mokuba finally reached the end of the ventilation shaft and he looked through the grate. To his utter shock, he found that he was directly over the hijacker steering the ship. "What do I do now?" the boy worried. Could he drop in and surprise the man without endangering any of the hostages?  
  
Suddenly there was a soft noise just outside the door. Mokuba was startled, but the hijacker didn't give any indication that he'd heard. Instead he turned some more controls and watched as the cameras refused to show what was happening in the dining room.  
  
"What's the matter with the thing?" the man muttered, cursing angrily. Mokuba winced at the harsh language and prayed that those being held hostage were alright.  
****  
After getting lost down several different corridors, Marik finally found the radio room and cautiously went in. He knew he had to be extremely careful; someone might be monitoring the comings and goings in the room and see what he was trying to attempt.  
  
To his surprise and relief, however, no security cameras were in sight. Shakily the boy sat down and picked up the microphone. "Hello? Hello?" he called into it. "Mayday! We've been hijacked!"  
  
Before long he was able to relay his message to an operator and then to the Coast Guard. Suddenly the connection was abruptly cut off and the boy's blood ran cold. Was someone here?  
  
Quickly he turned off the light and picked up a blunt object. No one else was present in the room this time, but Marik knew that someone might be coming if they'd somehow heard and intercepted his distress call.  
  
Slowly he eased the door open and stared down the dark, empty hall. He could hear footsteps rapidly approaching from the other end and knew that he didn't want to get trapped in this small room with no way of escape. Quickly he fled down the hall in the opposite direction and waited in the shadows until he saw a deadly-looking man with a gun approach. When the man walked past Marik's corner, the boy struck out and hit him squarely over the head, sending him to the floor.  
  
Now Marik stood over the man's body, his heart pounding, and cautiously took the gun from his hand. He certainly wouldn't use it, but it might help him with getting into the control booth.  
****  
Tea and Yugi struggled with the back door, which for some reason wasn't opening.  
  
"It feels like it's glued shut!" Yugi cried, pushing harder.  
  
"What could be wrong?!" Tea exclaimed.  
  
"Maybe someone put a barrier on the other side," Yugi suggested, putting his full weight into forcing the door open.  
  
In the meantime, Seto, Yami Yugi, and Shadi were, indeed, fighting with the hijackers.  
  
"Mind crush!" Yami Yugi cried, sending two of them into unconsciousness while the jazz music continued to blare out.  
  
Shadi was engaged in a fierce arm-wrestling contest with another of them as the criminal tried to use his free hand to point a rifle at his heart. Swiftly the Egyptian man grabbed the weapon with his free hand and jerked it toward him, causing the criminal to lose his balance.  
  
Seto delivered a harsh punch to a third hijacker and then elbowed another in the ribs. He glanced toward the back of the room and saw with irritation that Tea and Yugi were still struggling with the door. Why was it taking so long?!  
  
He couldn't ponder long on things, however, because suddenly a fifth was trying to shoot him down. With an angry growl the boy grabbed a chair and threw it at his would-be assailant, pinning him to the floor.  
  
Ishizu was not idle herself. She was busy contending with one of the other hijackers in a fierce battle across one of the tables.  
  
"So, you can't stand a clutter, eh?" the man said with a leering grin. "Then why don't the two of us go somewhere else and leave them to duke this thing out?" He tried to reach out and grab for her arm.  
  
Ishizu gave him a tight smile. "I don't think so," she said smoothly, suddenly overturning the table and leaving it in the man's path. Blocking out his curses from her mind, the Egyptian woman went to assist Tea and Yugi in opening the door.  
****  
As Marik approached the control room, he noticed with annoyance that there was a guard at the door. Thinking quickly, he removed one of his earrings and sent it skittering across the floor. Startled, the guard looked up and walked away from his post slightly to have a better look. Instantly Marik snuck up behind him and swiftly conked him over the head. The man slumped to the floor and Marik recovered his earring before preparing to open the door.  
  
Noiselessly the boy leaned against the wood, straining to hear any odd sounds, but all he heard was a steady stream of curse words from who was probably another hijacker. Narrowing his eyes, Marik opened the door and went in.  
  
The man seated at the console didn't look up at first but was obviously aware of the boy's presence, for he demanded to know what was happening in the dining room.  
  
"Oh, everything's under control, sir," Marik said smoothly.  
  
The man abruptly whirled around. "Who are you?!" he cried angrily.  
  
Without answering, Marik punched the man in the face, sending him sprawling. "I am someone who is very displeased with your actions," the boy hissed.  
  
Suddenly the grate on an overhead ventilation shaft popped open and Mokuba flew out, landing on top of the console and glaring down at the hijacker.  
  
Marik stared at the younger boy in shock. "What in Heaven's name are you doing here, Mokuba?!" he cried.  
  
"I could ask you the same question," Mokuba said with a grin. "But now let's get this guy!!"  
****  
As Joey and Tristan walked down the hall with Jamie leading the way, several of the hijackers abruptly appeared in front of them sinisterly.  
  
"Goin' somewhere, kids?" the one in the lead sneered.  
  
"Uh oh," Tristan muttered. "I don't like the looks of this." He reached out to pull Jamie back, but the younger boy was too quick for him.  
  
Defiantly Jamie marched right up to the leader and reached into his bag. "Where's my uncle?" he cried.  
  
"Tough little guy, aren't you?" the man remarked, reaching for him.  
  
"Hey!" Joey yelled, stepping in between them. "Pick on someone your own size!"  
  
"I've gotta find my uncle!" Jamie insisted, suddenly throwing a handful of flour into the man's face. "Now where is he?!"  
  
The man gasped and coughed as he tried to extract the powdery substance from his eyes and nose. Two of his cronies stepped forward and Joey and Tristan each grabbed one harshly.  
  
"Punks," one of them growled, and the teens were shoved backward.  
  
"Leave them alone!" Jamie yelled, pulling out a slingshot and loading it with Playdoh. Expertly he flung the clay at the two men, catching one of them right between the eyes and the other right in his mouth. With cries of pain (and disgust from the one who had accidentally gotten a taste of Playdoh), the men stumbled and turned away. Jamie then took the opportunity to sic chattering dentist teeth on them and turned to his new friends.  
  
Tristan stared at him and then at the criminals, all of whom were crying out as the teeth bit them. "Man . . ." was all he could say.  
  
"Come on!" Jamie said. "Now we run!"  
  
"But what about them?!" Joey cried as they took off. The hijackers, furious now, were starting to follow after the three young people, their guns once again held high.  
  
Jamie grinned. "Aw, don't worry about them. I've already got it covered." With that he took out a dangerous bottle of Elmer's Glue and poured it across the floor. Before the hijackers could stop themselves, they were all stuck fast.  
  
"All they have to do is take their shoes off and they'll be after us again!" Tristan said.  
  
"Hey, we'll be far away by then!" Jamie replied. "Come on! Let's get into the elevator!" He stopped short in front of the machine's doors and pressed the button. Before long the elevator had arrived and everyone scrambled in.  
  
Tristan and Joey leaned against the walls, trying to catch their breath.  
  
"Man, kid," Joey said, shaking his head, "you're dangerous!"  
  
Jamie smirked. "Only to the bad guys." His expression turned worried again. "But now we have to find my uncle!"  
  
Abruptly the elevator halted, jerking everyone forward, but the doors didn't open.  
  
"I don't like the looks of this," Tristan said grimly. "I think someone's stopped the elevator."  
  
Joey gulped. "Oh boy . . . that can't be good. . . ."  
****  
Yami Bakura stood on the catwalk with the once friendly and shy Bakura, his eyes narrowed angrily as he took a step forward. "You dolt. Look at what you've become!" the tomb raider scolded. "You're pathetic!"  
  
"I am?" Bakura's eyes flashed. "Actually, Yami, you are the pathetic one, and soon I will defeat you!"  
  
Yami Bakura growled. "What happened to you, Bakura? You are no longer the innocent boy I once knew." He wouldn't admit it, but he much preferred the innocent Bakura to this one.  
  
The Rod Bakura was holding began to glow and he smirked at the old thief as he raised it. "I am tired of that role. Now I have discovered many great and terrible powers ready for the taking—and you will find out just how powerful I am as you become my next mind slave! Fitting, isn't it?"  
  
Yami Bakura's Ring began to illuminate as well. "Fool," he hissed. "I possess a Millennium Item as well. I can block your attempts to take control of my mind."  
  
"Perhaps so," Bakura agreed, "but not if I've . . . weakened you first."  
  
Yami Bakura clenched his fists. "Bakura . . . I do not wish to harm you," he said quietly.  
  
"How strange," Bakura replied flippantly. "I have no qualms about harming you." He held the Rod out in front of him and prepared his attack.  
  
There was nothing else Yami Bakura could do. He couldn't allow the boy to go through with his assault—then he would never be able to get Bakura back to normal. A burst of energy shot out from the Ring as a defense, but the tomb robber could never have predicted what would happen next.  
  
The Millennium Items' powers collided in midair and hovered for a moment as if trying to decide where to go. Then Bakura screamed pitifully as both forces struck him squarely in the chest. Unable to control himself, the boy pitched backward off the catwalk and to the floor far below with a sickening thud.  
  
Yami Bakura stood numb and in shock for what seemed like an eternity afterwards, just staring blankly at the spot where the boy had been standing only a moment before. He had strived so hard to protect Bakura . . . but he had failed. Bakura had fallen captive to the dark side and now . . . now . . .  
  
Quickly the thief made his way down from the narrow beam and knelt next to the boy's still body. Bakura breath was coming in ragged gasps and he was bleeding from a gash on his head.  
  
Gently Yami Bakura took the boy into his arms, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. How could all this have happened to the fool? Might everything have been different if he had only not kicked Bakura out of the pool hall?  
  
The boy stirred then, his eyes fluttering open. Yami Bakura was startled to see the soft, innocent look in them once more. "Yami?"  
  
The thief could only stare at him speechlessly.  
  
"Please don't cry, Yami," Bakura said softly. "You saved me! You saved me from the darkness." He smiled in his sweet way. "Thank you, Yami," he whispered as his eyes closed again.  
  
This was too much for the old thief to handle. "No, Bakura," he cried pitifully, pulling the boy's limp body close. "No!" 


	15. Coast Guard

Marik glared as the hijacker got to his feet, pointing the gun threateningly. "Do not make any sudden moves," the boy hissed. "I am armed and I will shoot if you try anything."  
  
The man, surprisingly, didn't look worried. "Oh, you won't lay a finger on me," he growled, suddenly grabbing Mokuba viciously and drawing a knife to his throat. The younger boy cried out and struggled, but in vain.  
  
Marik's anger boiled over. "You animal! He is only a child!" He himself had only been ten when his father had taken a knife and forced him to have those wretched tattoos carved into his back. He could not allow this evil man to torture Mokuba now.  
  
"And what are you planning to do to me?" the man sneered. "If you try to do anything, I promise you that this boy will suffer."  
  
Marik clenched his hands around the gun's handle tightly. "Take me instead," he said at last. "Torment me any way you choose, but leave Mokuba alone!"  
  
Mokuba's heart pounded as he studied the man's unfeeling expression. "If he kills us both, then nothing will stop him from hurting my brother and the others!" the younger boy cried.  
  
"Very perceptive," the man observed. He smirked at Marik. "Even if you wanted to use that gun on me, there's no way you could—not as long as this boy is my prisoner."  
  
Marik's eyes narrowed and he prayed frantically to know what to do. It seems so hopeless! he wailed silently.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura slowly stood up, cradling Bakura's limp body gently. He knew the boy was still alive, but he wouldn't be hurt at all if the thief had only allowed him to stay in the pool hall, he was certain.  
  
"Please forgive me, Bakura," he said quietly. "I never wanted harm to come to you."  
  
Carefully the tomb raider carried Bakura down the hall and into the stateroom, where he gently laid him on the bed and began tending to the wound the boy had sustained after falling off the catwalk.  
  
"I was supposed to protect you, idiot," Yami Bakura said now, feeling immensely distressed, "but instead I've only succeeded in harming you." Of course he was relieved that Bakura was free of the dark spell, but as far as the thief was concerned, he was responsible for Bakura being put under it in the first place.  
  
****  
  
Rishid started and sprang awake, his golden eyes filled with worry. "Brother," he said softly. He had just experienced a vision of Marik—and the boy's young friend Mokuba—being in grave danger and he knew he had to save them.  
  
Quickly he stumbled out of bed and to the door, leaning against it to regain his strength. He was still weak from the whole incident with the cabinet, but he couldn't think about that now. His brother needed help!  
  
****  
  
Mokuba grabbed the evil man's wrist, trying desperately to wrench the knife away from him. "Let me go!" he cried.  
  
"If I put the gun down, will you release him?" Marik pleaded, hoping against hope that the man would agree to that much. He knew, however, that the man might pretend to go along with that but really be lying.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," the man sneered. "Should I?"  
  
Marik was fuming. "You vile beast," he growled, racking his mind for any ideas on how to distract him. He took a deep breath and finally asked, "Why is it you want to hijack this ship?"  
  
The man shrugged. He was free from the mind control, but since he had wanted to hijack the ship in the first place, nothing had really changed. "I needed a ship," he said at last. "We're planning a big heist once we dock, but you'll find out more about that later."  
  
While he was saying this, Mokuba was again trying to break free, but the man wasn't letting himself be distracted. He continued to hold the knife to the boy's throat while clutching him tightly all the while.  
  
Marik felt like screaming. All he could do was stand by helplessly, knowing that any movement would result in this evil man hurting Mokuba. He lowered the gun slowly—not that so doing would help the situation.  
  
Suddenly the door flew open without warning and Rishid ran in fiercely, his golden eyes flashing in outrage at the scene before him.  
  
"Rishid!" Marik cried in disbelief.  
  
The hijacker was completely caught off guard by this and he just stared at the Egyptian man, not noticing that he had lowered the knife slightly.  
  
Mokuba noticed, however, and he took the opportunity to kick out and strike his captor hard on the shin. With a cry of pain, the man released his grip and Mokuba ran free, dashing into his friend's arms.  
  
Marik held him close with one arm while raising the gun at the hijacker once more. "Now you have no hostage," he observed. "The advantage is mine."  
  
The evil man was angry. "Punk. I can just take all of you hostage . . . or better yet, just dispose of you."  
  
"I don't think so." Rishid stood firmly at his younger brother's side, ready to fight in a given instant. "Not as long as you have me to contend with."  
  
****  
  
With Ishizu's assistance, Tea and Yugi were finally able to open the door.  
  
"This way!" Yugi called to the frightened people, gesturing to the door. Quickly he, Ishizu, and Tea began ushering them out into the hall while the hijackers flew over their heads and slammed into the walls as they were defeated by the others.  
  
At one point, Tea heard a terrible scream and she gasped in alarm, but there was no way she could leave her post. Fervently she prayed that Seto, Yami Yugi, and Shadi were safe.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and a stern voice cried, "This is the Coast Guard! Put your hands in the air!"  
  
Everyone froze.  
  
Slowly Yami Yugi stepped out of the melee, his hands raised. "The hijackers have been stopped," he said. "But thank goodness you have arrived."  
  
"Who are you, sir?" the officer demanded.  
  
Yami Yugi gave him a funny smile, not entirely sure how to answer. "I am a friend," he said at last.  
  
Now Seto also walked out, looking bruised and dazed. "Who made the distress call?" he asked, worried about Mokuba's safety.  
  
"Actually," the officer replied as he wrestled one of the criminals to the floor and hand-cuffed him, "we wanted to ask you about that. The conversation was broken off abruptly. We had to trace the call to find the location of this ship."  
  
"That does not bode well," Shadi remarked, his eyes narrowed.  
  
Now Yugi and the others hurried over. "Some of our friends are missing," Tea exclaimed, relieved to see that Seto, Yami Yugi, and Shadi were alright.  
  
"I have more officers searching the ship for any others who might be being held against their will," the lead officer assured her. "Who all is missing?"  
  
Yugi looked around. "Well, Joey and Tristan," he said slowly. "And . . . is Mai here?"  
  
"Yes," Mai said wearily as she made her way over to them, "she's here."  
  
"And I am too," Rex groaned, looking completely frazzled. He had apparently come out on the wrong end of a fight.  
  
Ishizu's eyes narrowed. "My brothers may be in trouble," she said gravely. "There is no telling what dangers they may be in."  
  
Seto pushed past them all. "I have to find my brother," he said in a dangerous tone, letting everyone know that if Mokuba was hurt, someone would pay.  
  
"You shouldn't go alone, sir," the officer cautioned.  
  
"Alone or not, I'm going to find him," Seto replied firmly.  
  
"We'll all go," Yugi decided.  
  
Just then another Coast Guard officer approached them with Joey, Tristan, and a strange boy in tow. "We found these kids stuck in the elevator," he declared.  
  
Yugi stared. "Guys! What happened?" he exclaimed.  
  
"Oh man, we've had an adventure and a half!" Joey cried.  
  
"But explanations will havta wait!" Jamie interrupted. "We've gotta find my uncle!"  
  
Quickly the group headed out.  
  
****  
  
Rishid grabbed the hijacker and wrenched the criminal's arms behind him fiercely. "I will not allow you to harm my master or his friend," the Egyptian man vowed.  
  
The hijacker growled angrily. "I have friends who might harm them even if I don't," he sneered.  
  
"Your friends will not be harming us either," Marik shot back, moving forward to the control panel. During all this excitement, no one had remembered to steer the ship—and now it was about to be tossed viciously on the waves.  
  
Mokuba looked at his friend with wide eyes. "Do you know how this things works?" he exclaimed.  
  
Marik shrugged. "I own a small ship. How much harder to steer could this be?" He pressed a few buttons and pulled on the lever. The ocean liner gave a violent jolt and pitched everyone forward.  
  
"I don't know," Mokuba replied from his new position on the floor, "but this sure isn't any small ship!!"  
  
Rishid continued to struggle with the hijacker as they rolled across the shifting floor. "Master!" he exclaimed. "This isn't working!!"  
  
Marik's eyes narrowed. "It will," he replied. After applying the headset and concentrating hard, he again he pulled a lever. The ship rocked to the left, but less viciously this time. The Egyptian boy pressed another button, determined to get them back on course.  
  
Mokuba climbed into the seat next to him, watching Rishid and the hijacker fighting violently.  
  
Marik had to keep his concentration on steering the ship, but he could hear the cries of pain even with the headset on. "Rishid, you're in no condition to fight!" he protested.  
  
"Do not worry, Master," Rishid replied, pushing the hijacker to the floor and pinning him down.  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura sat back and watched Bakura's soft breathing, his brown eyes full of pain and regret. He had only wanted to protect Bakura when he had made him leave the pool hall, but instead the stupid boy had met the very person Yami Bakura had wanted him to avoid. "It is my fault you had a brush with the dark forces," the old thief said sadly. "I was trying so hard to protect you, but I . . . I couldn't." He clenched his fists, cursing in his native tongue and feeling worthless. For most of his life no one had cared for him at all, and finally he had become so embittered that he had decided he wanted to rule the world and set his sights on that. He had closed his heart to all of humanity and chose to be indifferent to their plights—but that was before he had met Bakura.  
  
Oh, the boy's sweet innocence had disgusted him at first—and still did, occasionally—but over time he had slowly realized how much Bakura meant to him. The boy was the true friend and brother Yami Bakura had never had, and though the thief still didn't care really for the human race, he was deeply protective of Bakura.  
  
Actually, Yami Bakura had had one true friend in the past . . .  
  
The thief shook his head angrily. He had vowed ages ago not to remember what had happened to that friend. A tragic fate had befallen him back in ancient Egypt, and it was one of the things Yami Bakura was most bitter about.  
  
****  
  
In the meantime, Yugi and the others had found their way to the control room, where Rishid had finally subdued the hijacker and Marik was successfully steering the ship.  
  
"Big brother!!" Mokuba cried happily when the door opened. He ran into Seto's arms and the older boy hugged him tightly.  
  
"Marik!" Ishizu exclaimed, immensely relieved to find her brother unharmed. Marik was equally overjoyed that his sister was alright.  
  
"Where's my uncle?!" Jamie demanded of the hijacker once the reunions were over. The man only stared back stone-faced and wouldn't answer.  
  
"We'll find him," Yugi assured the younger boy.  
  
Jamie barely heard him. "I said, WHERE'S MY UNCLE??!!" With that he stomped on the criminal's foot fiercely and the man cried in pain.  
  
"He's . . . he's downstairs," he choked out. "He's unhurt—just bein' guarded by some more of my men."  
  
"Man, how many goons you got?!" Joey cried in disbelief.  
  
It was then that Yugi noticed something odd on the floor and picked it up. "What's this?" he wondered.  
  
Marik leaned over. "It appears to be something to do with that mystery game," the Egyptian boy replied.  
  
The others stared. "You're right, Marik," Yugi said at last, "it is. And get this—it talks about a hijacking!" 


	16. It's Not Over Yet

"You're kidding, right, Yug?" Joey said, grabbing the paper and nearly boring holes into it with his intense stare.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Joey," Yugi replied slowly. "See, it says it right there."  
  
"But what could it mean?" Tea exclaimed.  
  
"It's all very perplexing," Yami Yugi remarked.  
  
"Hey!" Joey cried suddenly. "What if everything is part of the fake mystery?!"  
  
Everyone turned to stare.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Wheeler," Seto grumbled.  
  
"They said there wouldn't be any real danger in the game," Tristan added, looking like he thought Joey had completely lost it.  
  
"Still," Yugi said slowly as he took another slip of paper out from his pocket, "this does seem strange. Here's the first event of the fake mystery—someone falls overboard!"  
  
"Man, this is gettin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "The first thing that happened in our real mystery was that someone nearly got thrown overboard!"  
  
"We should find the Captain and ask him more about this game," Yami Yugi decided. "There may be an important clue somewhere."  
  
Marik shrugged. "Be my guests," he said. "But I must stay here and steer the ship until he returns."  
  
Ishizu and Rishid opted to stay with him, but the others left to follow several of the Coast Guard officers and Jamie, who had already left to look for Captain Hardy. The remaining officers took the hijacker and led him out of the room.  
  
****  
  
As the ship gave another jolt—milder this time—Yami Bakura pitched forward onto the floor and he growled angrily.  
  
Slowly he picked himself up, leaning on the edge of the bed for support, and looked up to make certain that Bakura hadn't been hurt worse. The boy stirred slightly, but otherwise showed no signs that he was even aware of what had happened.  
  
"Foolish mortal," Yami Bakura muttered, but in the next sentence he made it clear that he found the real fool to be himself. "You're a fool for listening to me. You're too ridiculously innocent to have been forced to go through what you did. And it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me."  
  
"That's not true, Yami," a soft voice gently reprimanded. "You saved me!"  
  
Yami Bakura paused and looked down at Bakura. "You're awake," he said in relief.  
  
Bakura smiled. "Yami, this all would have happened whether I had stayed with you in the pool hall or not. You only did what you thought would keep me safe. There is nothing you could have done to stop that man from controlling me, Yami." He looked at the thief with his soft, kind eyes. "I don't blame you for anything."  
  
Yami Bakura leaned back and said nothing. Bakura was willing to offer more forgiveness than the old robber felt he deserved.  
  
****  
  
The others found the Captain right where the hijacker had said he'd be—unharmed and angry as he was guarded by several more criminals.  
  
"Uncle!" Jamie cried happily.  
  
"Jamie!" Captain Hardy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Here to rescue you, duh," Jamie replied.  
  
The Coast Guard officer in the lead smiled. "We'll do the rescuing this time," he said as he and the others raised their guns at the hijackers.  
  
****  
  
Once the Captain was safely resting in his quarters, Yugi hesitantly brought up the subject of the mystery game.  
  
"I know this'll probably sound kinda odd," the violet-eyed boy said slowly, "but who came up with the idea of the game?"  
  
Captain Hardy paused, thinking. "Actually, I came up with the idea, but my crew put the plot and clues together."  
  
"Well, we just discovered somethin' freaky!" Joey burst out. "Look at these!" He held out the slips of paper Yugi had been looking at earlier and handed them to the Captain, who stared at them in confusion.  
  
"These aren't part of the game," he protested.  
  
Everyone exchanged baffled looks.  
  
"But they look exactly like the clues from the game," Tea said finally. "And this one here is what we found in the envelopes with our characters' identities."  
  
Captain Hardy looked concerned. "There must be a reason for that," he exclaimed.  
  
Seto was already ahead of him. "Someone slipped these in with the actual clues and plot twists," he decided, "wanting everyone to think that they were part of the game."  
  
"But what the heck for?!" Joey said in frustration.  
  
"Perhaps they were clues to their accomplices to help them know what to do next," Yami Yugi suggested, catching on.  
  
Seto gave a curt nod. "Exactly. What's been happening isn't just random attempts to cause trouble. It's all part of a well-thought-out plan that's been in the works for ages. What we need to do is find out who's responsible and why."  
  
Yugi smiled slyly. "And I think I'm beginning to get an idea," he declared. "Captain, where do you keep the clues for the mystery game?"  
  
Captain Hardy blinked in surprise. "Why, in the meeting room where I speak with my crew," he replied. "Every few hours, they go in and take the next clues and plot twists and hand them out to those who are playing the game."  
  
"Can anyone get in there?" Mokuba asked.  
  
"No," was the reply. "Only the crew and myself have the security cards to enable us to unlock the door."  
  
"How interesting," Yami Yugi mused. "Why don't we all go investigate this room further? Perhaps we'll gather some clues as to how these other instructions were slipped into the game."  
  
"Some of us should go look for Bakura," Tristan said.  
  
"True," Yami Yugi nodded. "We'll split up. Joey, go with Tristan and Shadi and look for our . . . fallen friend," he finished solemnly.  
  
"You got it, man," Joey said with a salute.  
  
"In the meantime," Seto spoke up, "the rest of us will try to crack this case."  
  
****  
  
"This is very interesting," Yami Yugi mused thoughtfully as he looked around the meeting room.  
  
"Where are the game clues?" Tea asked, also glancing about.  
  
"Right here." Captain Hardy reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a pack of index cards bound together with a rubber band.  
  
"What's the next thing that's supposed to happen in the game?" Seto demanded.  
  
Captain Hardy removed the top card. "One of the guests is to be found stabbed in his room," he replied. "That's one of the things that's supposed to 'happen'."  
  
"And when, exactly is it supposed to 'happen'?" Yami Yugi asked.  
  
"These cards are to be distributed tomorrow at breakfast," the Captain said. "The guests will then spend the rest of the day trying to find the attempted murderer."  
  
"Maybe someone's going to sneak in here tonight and try slipping in a card of their own again," Yugi suggested.  
  
Seto smirked. "That," he said, "is what we're counting on."  
  
****  
  
"Tell me again what this plan is," Captain Hardy requested as he, Yugi (who had merged with his Yami), Tea, Seto, and Mokuba huddled under the table to watch for any intruders.  
  
"We're trying to see if someone's gonna try adding new cards," Mokuba replied.  
  
"And what if they don't?" the Captain demanded.  
  
"They might try something else," Seto grunted. "Who places these cards around at the tables?"  
  
"Actually," Captain Hardy said, "Jamie does. I entrusted him with that job in the hopes that he would want to do well and not cause mischief."  
  
"Does it work?" Yugi asked, amused.  
  
Captain Hardy chuckled. "I think so . . . but there is the matter of the chewed gum someone found on their napkin at lunch today. Things have been so hectic since then that I never got a chance to ask Jamie if he did that."  
  
Tea looked disgusted.  
  
"Be quiet," Seto hissed suddenly. "It sounds like someone may be coming."  
  
****  
  
"Man, where could Bakura have gotten himself to?!" Tristan exclaimed as they walked down the hall. "We've been everywhere!"  
  
"Perhaps he has been under our noses the whole time," Shadi spoke up. "We have not checked his room."  
  
Joey blinked. "'His room'?!" the Brooklyn boy repeated. "How the heck would he wind up there?!"  
  
"We should investigate all the same," Shadi said, going down the long corridor until he came to Bakura's stateroom. "If the door is unlocked, I feel that we should just go in without knocking. There is no telling what he might be planning."  
  
Before Joey and Tristan could reply, the Egyptian man tried the door and found it to be locked. He then sharply rapped three times and a grouchy voice yelled back, "What is it?!"  
  
"That's Bakura's Yami," Tristan remarked.  
  
Shadi called back firmly, "Is Bakura in there with you?"  
  
"What do you want with him?" Yami Bakura snapped. "He's been through enough today."  
  
"I only wish to ask him a few brief questions," Shadi replied.  
  
"You can let them in, Yami," they heard Bakura's soft voice say.  
  
After a moment the door creaked open and Yami Bakura gestured for them to come in. Shadi nodded his thanks and turned to Bakura, who was sitting up in bed and looking puzzled.  
  
"Hello," the boy said slowly.  
  
"Hey, Bakura!" Tristan came out from around Shadi and grinned. "You seem to be back to normal."  
  
Bakura blushed and looked down. "I'm so sorry for any troubles I've caused," he said quietly. "I couldn't control what my body was doing."  
  
"Hey, we know, pal," Joey said comfortingly. "No one's blamin' you."  
  
Bakura smiled softly, then looked worried again. "No one got hurt because of me . . . did they?" he asked frantically.  
  
"Not that we know of," Tristan replied.  
  
"Ask your questions and get out," Yami Bakura growled.  
  
"Very well," Shadi nodded, turning to Bakura. "Can you tell me how this happened?"  
  
Bakura paused, thinking. "I . . . I saw a strange light," he said at last. "I couldn't stop myself from going to it. . . . It was as if I was hypnotized. Then I felt this dark force take control of me, and . . ." He stopped, shuddering at the remembrance.  
  
"Did you ever see who it was controlling you?" Shadi demanded.  
  
"I did," Yami Bakura interrupted, describing the man with the rifle.  
  
"And where is he now?" Shadi wanted to know.  
  
"Perhaps he is back in the boiler room," Yami Bakura said, "but more likely, he has left long before now." He knew that the effect of his Chain Energy card only lasted for a short while. If he had not been pressed so much for time, he would have used a Morphing Jar instead.  
  
****  
  
Marik blinked as he continued to steer the ship. He was starting to feel extremely tired, but he wasn't sure why.  
  
"Master Marik," Rishid exclaimed, seeing the boy nearly slump against the console for the third time, "what is wrong?" He, also, was battling to keep his eyes open.  
  
Marik struggled to sit up straight. "It is nothing, Rishid," he replied, his voice slurred.  
  
"Something is wrong, brother," Ishizu said gravely. "I am feeling overly exhausted as well, and I know it is not because of the eventful day."  
  
Marik coughed suddenly. "Perhaps . . . perhaps someone should open the door," he suggested before falling out of the chair and onto the floor.  
  
"Brother!" Rishid cried, running forward to the boy and taking him in his arms. He looked up at Ishizu. "There may be a gas leak in here," the Egyptian man said grimly. "We must leave now!"  
  
Ishizu ran to the door and struggled with it, feeling her ability to think clearly slipping away.  
  
Holding Marik's limp body over his shoulder, Rishid stumbled over and tried to assist the woman, but she slumped backward against him before she could manage to open the door.  
  
Knowing he must work fast, Rishid struggled with the door himself, managing to swing it open just as he, too, fell into the oblivion. 


	17. Janitor's Closet

Seto and the others tensed as footsteps approached outside the door and then stopped.  
  
"What's happening?" Captain Hardy wanted to know.  
  
"Shhh," Seto grumbled.  
  
Suddenly the ship jolted violently and everyone was thrown to the other side of the room, along with the table and a few chairs.  
  
"Why aren't those bolted down?!" Mokuba cried as he was nearly beaned by a flying chair.  
  
"They used to be!" Captain Hardy retorted.  
  
There was a loud thump out in the hall, followed by angry muttering. Quickly Seto leaped up and ran to the door, throwing it open. In the next moment, he was viciously pulled outside by a pair of rough hands.  
  
The others sprang to their feet. "Big brother!!" Mokuba shrieked.  
  
Seto wrestled his opponent to the floor angrily. "What are you trying to do?" he growled.  
  
"You insolent child!" the man roared, throwing Seto backwards against the wall. "I am the first mate on this ship, and many years your senior! I should ask what you are doing hiding in the meeting room! You have no right to be in there!"  
  
"Actually, Simon," Captain Hardy said as he stepped out into the hall, "he has every right. I authorized him to be in here with his brother and some of his friends. You do remember, Simon—we're trying to solve a mystery here!"  
  
Simon grunted as he dusted himself off. "As if a bunch of teenagers could solve it!" he said scathingly.  
  
"Hey!" Mokuba yelled defensively as he gave Seto a tight hug. "My brother's the best!"  
  
Simon only mumbled something unintelligible in reply.  
  
The ship lurched again, sending everyone tumbling down the hall.  
  
"What's happening?!" Tea gasped in horror.  
  
"The ship's gone mad!" Simon yelled.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," Seto grumbled.  
  
"There must not be anyone steering it!" Captain Hardy burst out as he slipped past.  
  
Everyone wound up in a tangled heap on the other end of the hallway.  
  
"Marik was supposed to be steering," Yugi remarked, trying to crawl out from underneath the confusion.  
  
"Then he must have gotten hurt!" Mokuba cried, his eyes wide with horror.  
  
"I think," Yugi said grimly as everyone began slipping to the opposite end of the hall, "that we should find him immediately!"  
  
"Gee, you think?" Seto grumbled.  
  
As they all slipped forward, a hole in the wall opened and they all fell through!  
  
"Why are there all these passageways in here?!" Tea cried.  
  
"I don't know," Captain Hardy replied as they plummeted downward. "I wasn't the original owner of this ship!"  
  
"Now he tells us!" Mokuba muttered.  
  
****  
  
In the meantime, Joey, Tristan, and Shadi had gone into the boiler room looking for Bakura's assailant. As Yami Bakura had predicted, they found no one—but the man had apparently been there a moment before, as Shadi deduced after they had only been there a short while.  
  
"Man, how can you tell?" Tristan demanded.  
  
Shadi didn't answer, seeming instead to be drawing on his powers to figure out which way to go.  
  
That's when the ship lurched abruptly, sending them all sprawling to the floor.  
  
"What was that?!" Joey burst out.  
  
"A bad sign," Shadi replied. "The ship is not being attended to."  
  
"Oh man," Tristan moaned. "What next?"  
  
****  
  
Those still in the dining room weren't faring much better. By now most of them wanted to leave and go to their rooms, but with the ship's latest antics it would be almost impossible to get to the door leading out into the hall.  
  
"Man, I'm getting sea sick," Rex groaned, leaning against the wall and then falling to the floor as the ship rocked once more.  
  
Mai sighed loudly. "Well, don't hang around me, then!" she shot back, feeling frustrated and disheveled. It had been a long, tiring day full of strange experiences—and even now, she was certain they weren't over yet.  
  
And she was right.  
  
Within moments the same woman who had nearly been thrown overboard at the beginning now came stumbling into the room, sobbing.  
  
"What's wrong?" Rex asked, looking up.  
  
"This is all my fault," the woman wailed.  
  
Everyone turned to stare.  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Mai demanded.  
  
Shakily the woman sat down across from Mai, dabbing at her eyes. "None of this would be going on if I wasn't on this ship," she declared.  
  
"That can't be true," Rex objected.  
  
"Maybe we can help you," Mai suggested kindly.  
  
The woman shook her head. "No. . . . No, this is my problem. I started all of this. Now I have to get everyone out of it!"  
  
"You're not makin' sense!" Rex protested.  
  
"I can't explain things right now," the woman said apologetically, standing up again. "But . . ." Trailing off, she ran to the door and fled down the hall.  
  
Mai and Rex stared after her, then turned to look at each other.  
  
"That," Mai proclaimed firmly, "was weird."  
  
"You said it!" Rex agreed, stumbling up. "Let's follow her!"  
  
Mai didn't look pleased in the least at the thought of working with Rex Raptor, but at least she agreed and the two set out after the mysterious woman.  
  
****  
  
Once again Tea found herself crashing down after a long fall, but this time it wasn't a soft surface she landed on. She let out a cry of pain as she hit the floor hard.  
  
"Are you alright?" Yugi asked as he also crashed down.  
  
"Y-yes," Tea said shakily, pulling herself up. After making sure that Yugi and the others were okay as well, the girl mused, "I wonder where we are now?"  
  
Captain Hardy clicked on a flashlight and shined it around. "It seems to be some kind of closet," he declared.  
  
"I just don't get where all these secret passageways are coming from!" Tea exclaimed in frustration. "Why would they be needed on a cruise ship?!"  
  
"I wish I knew," Captain Hardy lamented.  
  
Seto stood up and began poking through the dusty buckets and mops, looking for a door. "It looks like this place hasn't been used in some time," he remarked.  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Simon cried hotly. "I've never been on a stranger cruise!!"  
  
"Well, maybe you should help us look for the solution," Seto shot back, "instead of just standing there complaining."  
  
Simon turned purple with rage.  
  
Captain Hardy had to chuckle. "The boy does have a point, Simon. Help me check this wall over here for the door," he requested.  
  
As they continued their seemingly fruitless search, Yugi spoke up. "Captain, when did you get this ship?" he asked.  
  
The Captain paused, trying to remember. "It seems like ages ago," he said at last.  
  
"It was," Simon grumped.  
  
Captain Hardy ignored that. "I've been running my cruise ship business ever since I got my first ship back in 1962," he said proudly.  
  
"Wow," Tea said, blinking in surprise.  
  
The ship jerked again, sending everyone to the floor.  
  
"I wish it would stop doing that!" Simon growled.  
  
"What are we gonna do?!" Mokuba burst out, worried again about Marik. "We're trapped in here!!"  
  
Seto gently helped him stand up and spoke to him tenderly. "We'll get out, kid," he said. "Don't worry."  
  
Yugi felt along the wall again. "I may have found something!" he exclaimed.  
  
"A door?" Tea asked hopefully.  
  
"I'm not sure," Yugi replied slowly, pressing on it. "Yes," he said now, "I believe it is!"  
  
"Then quickly!" Captain Hardy directed. "Everyone throw your weight against it and we may be able to escape!"  
  
Everyone in the group instantly complied, slamming hard into the wood and causing it to creak loudly.  
  
"Once more!" Yugi called, and the action was repeated. The door creaked louder, obviously almost ready to give way.  
  
"Third time's the charm," Seto remarked with a smirk.  
  
As everyone crashed into the door for a final time, the hinges screamed in protest but finally tore free, sending the door to the floor with a bang.  
  
"Freedom at last!" Simon declared, heading out.  
  
As everyone headed out, Mokuba suddenly paused and bent down.  
  
"What is it?" Yugi asked, turning to look.  
  
"I'm not sure," Mokuba replied slowly, holding up a piece of parchment, "but it looks a lot like that Egyptian paper Tea found earlier."  
  
Quickly Yugi took and studied it.  
  
~Is this what Shadi was telling us about?~ the boy wondered.  
  
**Yes,** Yami Yugi responded. **It's the counterspell to the evil one. But what I would like to know now is, How did it get down here?**  
  
****  
  
Ishizu slowly stirred, feeling the cold, hard floor underneath her. At first she couldn't remember at all what had happened, but then images of the previous experiences came back to her when she opened her eyes and found Marik laying next to her on the floor.  
  
"Marik!" she cried softly, not able to speak louder than a whisper at the moment. As she became more aware of their surroundings, she realized that she and her brother were both laying out in the corridor instead of back inside the room and she wondered idly how that had happened.  
  
But more about that later, Ishizu said to herself as she slowly got into a kneeling position. She had to awaken her brother!  
  
Gently she shook him on his shoulder. "Marik," she said, able to speak more normally now, "dear brother!" She could see that, thankfully, the younger boy was breathing, and now he started and coughed, his lavender eyes fluttering open.  
  
"Sister?" he managed to say.  
  
Ishizu relaxed, relieved, and pulled her brother into an embrace. "You are safe," she whispered.  
  
Puzzled, Marik hugged her back. "Sister, what happened?" he asked softly.  
  
"I am not certain," Ishizu replied softly, "but there was something strange in that room that made you faint."  
  
Marik blinked, the memories coming back. "Sister, where is Rishid?" he asked suddenly.  
  
Ishizu froze. When she had first regained consciousness, the first thing she had seen was Marik's unconscious body, and she had been so concerned about him that the thought of Rishid's whereabouts hadn't really entered her mind.  
  
Now she released Marik from her embrace and the two siblings glanced about worriedly. They weren't that far from the room's entrance, and they soon discovered Rishid laying motionless just inside the doorway.  
  
Horrified, Marik stumbled to his feet and rushed over, collapsing on his knees next to his dear brother and shaking him frantically. "Rishid!!" he cried. "Rishid, wake up!!"  
  
Ishizu watched worriedly, her blue eyes wide. She knew that Rishid must have been trying to save them from the fumes, but then hadn't been able to save himself.  
  
Marik leaned back, his heart pounding. "No," he said softly, "not Rishid!"  
  
Even though they weren't biologically related and Marik's and Ishizu's father had always treated Rishid as nothing more than a servant, he had never been that to them. Marik and Ishizu loved him so very much and considered him their older brother. To Marik, Rishid was his nearest and dearest friend as well.   
  
"Not Rishid," Marik said again, shaking his head. "He can't be . . ."  
  
To the relief of the other two Ishtar siblings, Rishid stirred then and moaned.  
  
"He is alive," Ishizu said softly, saying a prayer of thanks.  
  
Quickly Marik took hold of the man's wrists and pulled him out of the room and into the hallway, where the air was completely fresh. "I feel as though we are being watched!" the boy declared uneasily as he knelt next to Rishid again.  
  
Ishizu had had those same feelings. Now she wondered if they had any significance.  
  
****  
  
Not too far away, the dangerous man who had been controlling Bakura earlier watched the proceedings via his dark spells. "You are being watched, my friends," he purred quietly. "You are indeed. And next time, you will not survive my wrath!" 


	18. Bakura to the Rescue!

The man slowly raised the Millennium Rod, which he had found laying on the floor in the boiler room. Yami Bakura had been so worried about his young friend that he had forgotten to retrieve the powerful item before leaving.  
  
"And that mistake," the man purred now, "will be all of your undoing!"  
  
There was a flash of light and another man appeared. "What are you going to do with that Millennium Item?" he demanded.  
  
The first man grinned evilly. "I will use it to collect the others as well," he replied.  
  
"Fine," the second man grunted. "But don't forget our original plan!"  
  
"You have nothing to worry about. I have not forgotten. You will get your revenge and I will get what I desire as well!"  
  
****  
  
Yami Bakura stood up, looking anxious.  
  
"What is it, Yami?" Bakura asked.  
  
The thief growled and didn't answer, instead going to the door and pressing his body against it. I sense a dark presence, he said to himself silently. Someone is approaching!  
  
"Yami, is something wrong?" Bakura cried, starting to climb out of the bed.  
  
"Don't get up!" Yami Bakura growled in such an angry tone that the boy quickly obeyed, leaping back under the covers and watching the old thief with concern.  
  
"Yami, what is it?" Bakura asked again. "Please tell me!"  
  
Yami Bakura grunted. He was tempted to just leave the boy and go seek out this dark force by himself, but he wasn't about to make that same mistake again. Bakura, he vowed, would not be allowed out of his sight until the villains were caught.  
  
****  
  
As Mai and Rex chased the strange woman down the hall, the ship continued to tilt back and forth wildly.  
  
"Why does it keep doing that?!" Mai cried in frustration.  
  
Rex didn't answer as he watched the sobbing lady vanish around another corner. "There she goes!" he yelled.  
  
The two teens soon followed after her and then glanced about in confusion when they found the corridor empty.  
  
"Man, not again!" Rex growled. "She's disappeared!"  
  
"Hey, she's over there, lamebrain," Mai replied in irritation, pointing at a nearby room where the crying woman was sitting near a porthole.  
  
Quickly they ran inside and over to her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mai asked.  
  
"Oh . . ." The woman sniffled, and then suddenly took on a completely different tone. "Nothing is wrong with me . . . but both of you will soon be under the sea!" She whirled to face them, no traces of tears on her cheeks. That had been a bluff to get them to follow her.  
  
"Hey!! What kinda dirty trick are you pullin'?!" Rex demanded, taking a step forward.  
  
"I've led you both into my trap, just as I wanted to," the woman purred. "And now you will both die!"  
  
****  
  
Marik bent over Rishid again, his lavender eyes shining worriedly. "Rishid! Wake up!!" the boy pleaded. It seemed that they had been there for ages trying to rouse their brother, but so far they hadn't had any luck.  
  
Ishizu looked at them both in concern. "He must have inhaled more of the fumes than either of us," she said softly. "He was trying to save us from danger." Inwardly she knew it was possible that Rishid might die, though she couldn't stand to dwell on such a thing.  
  
"He has to be alright," Marik said defensively, tears in his eyes. "Oh Rishid . . . please!"  
  
At last Rishid groaned and coughed, and then his golden eyes fluttered open. "Master? Lady Ishizu?" he said weakly, managing a smile. "You are alright!"  
  
Marik brightened. "You saved us, Rishid," he replied, embracing his friend.  
  
****  
  
"This is all so confusing," Tea said as she and the others in her group followed Yami Yugi down the hall.  
  
The ancient Pharaoh was still studying the spell they had found in the janitor's closet. "I know," he agreed softly. "I feel like there is something I'm supposed to know, but I can't quite place it."  
  
"I wonder how these fit in with everything," Yugi mused, taking out the bag of golf balls and staring at them.  
  
Simon stared with goggle-eyed interest. "Where did you find those?!" he demanded.  
  
Yami Yugi turned to look at him. "In the library that was ransacked," he said carefully. "What do you know of them?"  
  
Simon looked immensely flustered. "Nothing," he insisted. "I was only curious because I . . . I enjoy golfing."  
  
"I never knew that about you, Simon," Captain Hardy remarked. "I thought the sea was your whole life!"  
  
Seto looked at Simon suspiciously. It seemed as though he was making up the golfing story, judging by the way he continued to be so extremely nervous and jumpy about the subject. Could he be involved with everything?  
  
Mokuba was studying the man as well, feeling frustrated. When would anything start making sense?  
  
As they turned a corner, the group suddenly met up with Joey, Tristan, and Shadi.  
  
"Did you guys have any luck?" Tea asked hopefully.  
  
Tristan looked serious. "Well, yes and no," he replied.  
  
"Bakura's back to normal," Joey put in, "but the guy who was mind-controllin' him has pulled a Houdini act!"  
  
"That can't be good," Tea said, shaking her head.  
  
"Hey," Yugi noticed suddenly, "the ship's stopped rocking!"  
  
"Does that mean that Marik's okay?" Mokuba asked hopefully.  
  
Seto pulled him close. "It means that someone has taken control of the ship again, kid," he said softly, "and we can hope it was Marik."  
  
Yami Yugi walked up to Shadi. "We found this in a janitor's closet," he said gravely, holding out the piece of parchment.  
  
Shadi took it and read it over quickly, his blue eyes narrowing. "This is the counterspell to the evil incantation," he confirmed. "But what would it have been doing in a janitor's closet?"  
  
"That's exactly what we'd like to know," Yami Yugi replied.  
  
Yugi seemed to be deep in thought. "Hey," he said now, "what if we've been going about this all wrong?"  
  
"Huh? Whaddya mean, Yug?" Joey demanded.  
  
Yugi paused. "What if all these 'accidents' aren't to get revenge on the Captain—but instead are to get revenge on us?"  
  
Everyone stared.  
  
"That sounds kinda weird," Mokuba said at last.  
  
"I know," Yugi was quick to agree. "Most of the strange things that have happened seemed to be where lots of people would be affected, and not just us. But we've gained lots of enemies over the past few months, and . . ." He paused, exchanging a glance with Yami Yugi.  
  
"What's going on?!" Captain Hardy wanted to know. "Are you two keeping something from us?"  
  
Yami Yugi sighed. "Yugi was threatened earlier today," he admitted finally.  
  
"What?!" Tea cried. "Yugi, why didn't you tell us?!"  
  
Yugi blushed. "Well, there was so much else going on that I never had a chance," he explained. That was only part of it, however. What with Bakura acting so odd earlier, Yugi hadn't wanted to add to his friends' worries by announcing that his life had been threatened.  
  
"What did they say, Yugi?" Seto asked. He, too, had been threatened, but he hadn't particularly wanted to say anything either. If his own life was threatened, that was his business, and no one else's.  
  
"They said that Yugi wouldn't be around once these events had all come to a close," Yami Yugi replied. "And they sounded as though they were familiar with the previous mysteries we've solved."  
  
Seto grunted. That was almost the exact same thing that the person who'd called him had said.  
  
Yugi played idly with one of the golf balls, wondering what significance it could possibly have. He also wondered why Simon was watching him like a hawk.  
  
Suddenly the man reached forward and grabbed the small sphere away from Yugi. "I'll take this now," he said firmly.  
  
Yugi blinked.  
  
"What the heck do you want with that thing?!" Joey cried. "It's a golf ball! What's so important about a GOLF BALL?!"  
  
Simon looked flustered. "Nothing," he growled, holding the golf ball out of Joey's reach.  
  
Joey, undaunted, grabbed for it anyway and it wound up flying across the hall, where it crashed against the wall and broke open. Everyone turned to stare as a huge ruby fell out.  
  
****  
  
Rex backed up, his brown eyes flashing angrily. "Just try offin' us," he growled, getting into a defensive stance. "You won't stand a chance!"  
  
Mai glared as well. "Hey, if you're gonna kill us, at least tell us why!"  
  
The woman shrugged. "I have my orders. You kids are too nosy!"  
  
"Hey, we don't know anything!" Rex protested.  
  
"You're Yugi's friends, aren't you?" the woman said smoothly.  
  
Mai blinked. "Well . . . yes," she admitted.  
  
"Then I've been told that you're responsible for helping to put criminals in the clink," the woman informed them.  
  
"Hey, I've never been involved!" Rex said in frustration.  
  
Suddenly a change seemed to come over the woman and she gasped, her eyes widening. "Help me," she begged.  
  
"What?!" Rex cried. "I don't get it! First you wanna kill us and now you suddenly want our help?!"  
  
"You . . . you don't understand," the woman said softly.  
  
Mai stared. "You're right, I don't."  
  
"It's . . . it's mind control!" the woman gasped. "Just like what happened to your friend Bakura!"  
  
That piqued the teens' interest. "Mind control?!" they cried in unison.  
  
The woman nodded shakily before her eyes turned dangerous again and she once more advanced on Mai and Rex.  
  
"You'd better have a brilliant idea," Mai grumbled.  
  
"Of course I do," Rex replied defensively, taking a step forward. "I'm gonna fight her!"  
  
"What?!" Mai screamed in disbelief. "You idiot!"  
  
Rex only grinned. "Just watch me," he said, trying to deliver a punch to the woman's stomach. Instead he was thrown violently against the wall as she protected herself.  
  
Mai stared at him, shaking her head in disgust at his pitiful attempt, and then kicked out hard to hit the woman squarely in the gut. With a gasp, their attacker fell to the floor, clutching her stomach in pain.  
  
Now Mai turned back to Rex, tossing her hair. "You have no concept of fighting," she said smoothly.  
  
Rex growled in frustration.  
  
****  
  
Almost as soon as Yami Bakura turned away from the door, it was shoved open by a dangerous-looking Egyptian man in a turban.  
  
"Yami!!" Bakura cried.  
  
Yami Bakura growled, whirling around to face the intruder. "How did you get in?!" he demanded. "That door was locked!"  
  
"I don't need doors," the man hissed, pulling out a mysterious sceptre.  
  
"That's what was used on me!" Bakura said in horror, pointing at the staff.  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he wanted to know. "You are not the same man from the boiler room!"  
  
"You're right," the man said amiably, "I am not. But I am the current owner of this staff." He raised it high and pointed it at Yami Bakura, his tone changing to a deep, menacing growl once more. "I only let my associate borrow it for a bit, but his idiocy has annoyed me to no end! He can't even use the sceptre of Khu accurately!"  
  
Yami Bakura took a step forward. "What are your intentions here, mortal?"  
  
"I want your Millennium Ring," the man replied.  
  
"You shan't have it," Yami Bakura growled, pulling it out and activating its powers.  
  
Bakura sprang up, his sweet eyes wide. "Yami!!" he screamed.  
  
"Stay back, you dolt," the thief hissed. "You don't know what you'd be up against!" He paused. "It's been many years since I have seen the staff of Khu, and I'm certain it's just as deadly now as it was then."  
  
Bakura stood back and watched in horror as the two began their battle. Ceramics shattered and wood splintered as the blasts missed their targets.  
  
"You have not mastered the powers of your staff," Yami Bakura observed.  
  
"Oh, I haven't?" The man smirked, sending out a burst of energy that caught Yami Bakura right in his chest. With a cry of pain, the thief slumped back against the wall and was still. "I have mastered it enough to win, it appears." He laughed wickedly, reaching for the Ring.  
  
"Yami!!" Bakura screamed, running forward with tears in his eyes. He looked up at the wielder of Khu's sceptre. "I can't stand idly by and watch this! My Yami saved me earlier—and now I will save him!" He grabbed for the staff, taking the man by complete surprise.  
  
Yami Bakura stirred slightly, moaning as he opened his eyes. "Bakura . . . don't," he managed to say.  
  
Bakura barely heard him. "I can't let this continue!" he sobbed, struggling with the man, who then angrily tried to shoot the boy down with the staff's powers. Somehow, however, the staff's powers turned against him and the man was struck down instead.  
  
Bakura gasped. "Oh my!" he exclaimed, watching the Egyptian fall to the floor. Quickly he turned to look at his Yami, who was still slumped over and seemed to be in pain. "Yami, you're hurt!" the boy cried, running over to help him stand.  
  
Yami Bakura grunted. "You shouldn't have tried to fight with him," he growled, wincing in pain. "You could have been shot down yourself!"  
  
Bakura tried to help the tomb raider over to the bed, his soft eyes glistening. "He was hurting you, Yami! I couldn't just stand by and let it continue!"  
  
Yami Bakura groaned, struggling to stay conscious. "Take the staff from him," he ordered.  
  
Bakura hesitated.  
  
"Take it!!" Yami Bakura yelled forcefully.  
  
Gently Bakura laid the thief down on the bed and then shakily turned to look at the dazed man on the floor. 


	19. The Eye of the Mage

"Man, what is that?!" Joey cried in disbelief, pointing at the ruby.  
  
Simon snatched it greedily. "It's mine," he growled.  
  
"Simon!" Captain Hardy cried. "What's going on?!"  
  
"This," Simon sneered, "is a priceless gem from ancient Egypt."  
  
"The Eye of the Mage," Shadi muttered.  
  
"The WHAT?!" Joey cried in confusion.  
  
Simon grunted. "I don't care what it's called," he cried. "I only care about the high price I'll get for it on the black market!"  
  
Yami Yugi stepped forward angrily. "You can't sell that on the black market!" he said firmly. "It's full of an ancient evil!"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous!" Simon laughed. "It's a piece of stone!!"  
  
Captain Hardy just stood back, completely baffled. "What's happening here?!" he demanded. "Why doesn't anything have a simple, logical explanation anymore?!"  
  
"With Yugi Muto around," Seto smirked, "logical explanations go out the window." He had discovered many a time about the many strange events that followed Yugi and his friends around.  
  
Yugi looked up at his Yami and Shadi in confusion. "What's the Eye of the Mage?" he asked.  
  
"It was crafted by an evil sorcerer many millennia ago," Shadi replied grimly. "When he was defeated, his wicked powers were sealed inside it."  
  
"Man, where are all these ancient artifacts comin' from?!" Joey said in frustration. "Is this thing connected to the staff?"  
  
"It may be," Yami Yugi said.  
  
"I've heard enough of this nonsense!" Simon cried, waving the hand with the ruby around wildly. Without warning, a bolt of electricity shot out and narrowly missed striking them down.  
  
"Hey!! Watch where you point that thing!!" Joey cried in frustration.  
  
Simon stared at the ruby in disbelief. "Did that really come out of this?" he said, blinking.  
  
Shadi stepped forward. "You must hand it over to me," he said sternly.  
  
"I don't think so," Simon growled defensively, trying to figure out how to make the lightning shoot out again.  
  
"He's tryin' to toast us!!" Joey cried indignantly.  
  
"Everyone duck!!" Mokuba screamed.  
  
****  
  
Shakily Bakura leaned down and pried the staff from the man's hand, then held it up and stared at it, not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing with it. "Yami? . . ." the boy asked waveringly.  
  
Yami Bakura grunted, watching Bakura through half-open eyes. "Just don't let him get it back," he muttered, starting to slip away.  
  
"But . . . but Yami, what does it do?" Bakura asked worriedly, his eyes wide.  
  
"Don't use it," Yami Bakura growled.  
  
Bakura watched, his heart pounding, as the thief fell into an unconscious state. He was on his own now.  
  
****  
  
When everyone looked up from Simon's latest failed attempt to strike them all down, their attacker was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Where the heck did he go?!" Joey cried.  
  
"Down that way," Seto said coldly, wondering whatever had happened to the embezzlers.  
  
Quickly the others followed his lead, but somehow they all became separated in the confusion of a sudden blast that rocked the ship wildly.  
  
"Now what's happening?!" Tea cried as she clanked into Seto.  
  
"Whatever it is, I don't like the sound of it," the boy muttered. "This hallway leads to the main power control room. Maybe that ruby is jamming things up somehow!"  
  
"C'mon!" Mokuba cried, racing ahead. "Let's go find out!"  
  
"Mokuba!" Seto called in frustration. "Wait for me!"  
  
****  
  
"Well, well. What have we here?"  
  
The Ishtars looked up. Standing before them was a strange man with naturally tanned skin and dark hair. A scar adorned his left cheek and his violet eyes glinted curiously. No one had heard him approach; where had he come from?  
  
"Who are you?" Ishizu demanded.  
  
The man laughed. "No one you would know. I am simply here to retrieve what is rightfully mine!"  
  
"And what would that be?" Marik asked suspiciously.  
  
"Oh . . . just a couple of trinkets. Nothing for you three to worry about." And with a strange cackle, the man vanished into thin air.  
  
"That was very odd," Marik remarked, helping Rishid to stand.  
  
"I sensed a darkness about him," Ishizu said quietly. "I fear that something else may be amiss."  
  
****  
  
Bakura sat next to his Yami's unconscious body, nervously watching the man on the floor. The old thief hadn't told him what to do if the person woke up, so Bakura could only clutch the sceptre and pray that such a thing wouldn't happen. He didn't like fighting with people, but of course he would have to do it if it was necessary.  
  
Suddenly the door was thrust open and the same man who had appeared to the Ishtars stood silhouetted in the shadows, a determined sneer on his face.  
  
Bakura leaped to his feet. "Oh my!" he cried. Heart pounding, he raised the sceptre and pointed it at him. "Why are you in here?!"  
  
The man's eyes lighted on Bakura—or rather, on the staff he was holding. "That," he said simply, "is mine." He stepped forward, grabbing it roughly by the dark orb affixed to the top. "And now I will take it back."  
  
Bakura struggled, sensing that he couldn't let the staff fall into this intruder's hands. "Who are you?" he asked, trying not to show how scared he felt.  
  
"He is a dangerous man."  
  
Both looked up as Shadi stood in the doorway, accompanied by Yugi and his Yami.   
  
A note of recognition showed in the intruder's eyes as he studied Yami Yugi. "My Pharaoh," he said, giving a mock bow.  
  
Yami Yugi blinked. "Who are you?" he wanted to know.  
  
The man straightened up, obviously unfazed. "Oh yes, that's right. You have no memories of your time as Pharaoh. But that's just as well." He yanked the staff out of Bakura's hands and held it up. "I have what I came for."  
  
"Do not remove the sceptre from this room," Shadi said sternly, stepping forward.  
  
"It is mine," the intruder retorted, pointing it at Shadi threateningly. "I have the right to take it wherever I please." With that, he shot a blast of electricity at the Egyptian man in front of him and Shadi collapsed to the floor. Bakura clapped a hand over his mouth in utter horror.  
  
Now Yami Yugi stood up firmly in the intruder's path. "That was uncalled for!" the ancient Pharaoh said sternly, his Millennium Puzzle starting to glow. The intruder shot out another blast, which collided with the powers from the Puzzle and was neutralized.  
  
When the smoke from the failed attack had cleared, however, the intruder—and the staff—were gone.  
  
"Oh my!" Bakura cried in surprise.  
  
"He wasn't mortal," Yami Yugi said gravely. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was sure that he remembered the dark-haired man from somewhere, but he couldn't place where.  
  
Yugi was kneeling next to Shadi worriedly, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. "Shadi, are you alright?" the boy gasped. "Wake up!!"  
  
The Egyptian man groaned, but didn't revive.  
  
"Get him onto the other bed," Yami Yugi directed, and Bakura rushed to help Yugi in accomplishing that.  
  
"Are . . . are he and my Yami going to be alright?" Bakura asked frantically, his brown eyes wide.  
  
Yami Yugi looked grim. "I wish I could remember who that man is and what his staff does," he declared, shaking his head. Seeing how upset Bakura looked, the Pharaoh tried to smile comfortingly. "But your Yami isn't a mortal, so I'm certain he'll be just fine." He paused. "It's Shadi I'm worried about," he admitted.  
  
****  
  
When Seto and Tea chased Mokuba into the power control room, they found Simon there with the ruby—but he wasn't alone. The embezzlers Seto had been after were there as well.  
  
"What are you snakes doing here?" the boy demanded upon seeing them.  
  
"Just finishin' some business, Kaiba," one of the criminals replied.  
  
Seto glared. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Seto, be careful!" Mokuba cried worriedly from some unseen part of the room. "They're gonna hurt you!"  
  
"I'm not afraid of them, kid," Seto said gently, stepping forward forcefully. "Now, explain yourselves!" he growled at Simon and the others.  
  
"There's nothing to explain, you insolent cur," Simon shot back, holding the gem up in the air. "I don't have to say anything to a rude child such as yourself!"  
  
Seto fumed inwardly, but he tried to keep his temper in check. "Those men with you happen to be former employees of mine who've been embezzling money from my company's accounts!" he cried, pointing his forefinger at them in emphasis.  
  
"How interesting," Simon sneered. "However, I won't have to worry about them embezzling any profits I make." With that he held the ruby out in front of him and a burst of electricity shot out and struck both of the embezzlers, sending them to the floor. "I was going to do that anyway," he shrugged now.  
  
The force of the electricity blast, however, also caused the lights to flash vigorously and the ship to rock again. Simon looked unaffected by this and simply sneered at the two teens. "It looks you two will have the same fate," he remarked, "and I can't say it won't please me to be rid of such an annoying brat as you." The man smirked at Seto maliciously.  
  
"Leave them alone!!" Mokuba screamed, suddenly dropping down from a high beam near the ceiling and landing squarely on Simon's shoulders.  
  
The man started, jerking in surprise. "What the . . . get off, you little brat!!" he growled, grabbing Mokuba harshly and throwing him across the room. The boy let out a cry of pain as he hit the hard wall and then lay dazed on the floor.  
  
Tea shrieked in horror, and Seto's eyes narrowed in outrage. "Mokuba!!" he screamed, turning to face Simon with his hands clenched. "How dare you treat my brother that way!" the boy cried.  
  
Simon went over and picked up Mokuba's limp body. "I don't like children," he said carelessly, preparing to drop the boy to the floor again.  
  
Instantly Seto grabbed Simon viciously, twisting his arm painfully while he retrieved Mokuba from the man's grasp. "I'll give you something to not like," he snapped, reaching to squeeze a pressure point.  
  
Before he could, Simon raised the gem to shock him as well. "I don't think so," he hissed.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Seto replied, quickly handing Mokuba to Tea and turning his complete attention to defeating this madman. He grabbed the man's other wrist and restrained it, but Simon was undaunted. The man kicked Seto sharply in the ribs and the boy doubled over with a gasp. With Seto's attention divided, Simon quickly aimed the ruby to point at Tea and Mokuba, who were both moving forward to attack.  
  
"Now," he said with a grim smile, "you will all meet your end."  
  
With an angry cry, Seto straightened up and grabbed Simon harshly, sending them both to the floor. The ruby, caught in the middle of the pressure from the intense battle, glowed brightly and then suddenly erupted in a blinding light, causing a horrendous explosion! 


	20. Conclusion

Tea and Mokuba were thrown back by the force of the blast and slammed into the wall.  
  
"What's happening?!" Mokuba cried.  
  
Tea coughed, waving away the smoke. "I . . . I don't know," she said shakily, looking around. "Kaiba?!" she called.  
  
When the debris finally cleared, both young people were astonished to see that the ruby was smoldering, but still intact. Simon and Seto, however, were both laying motionless on the floor, each bleeding from deep wounds.  
  
"Seto!!" Mokuba screamed, running over and collapsing next to him.  
  
Tea was equally horrified. "Kaiba?" she whispered, also kneeling down. Shakily she raised Seto's limp wrist and checked for a pulse, her heart pounding. "Wake up, Kaiba!!" she cried.  
  
"Hey . . ."  
  
Tea and Mokuba looked up as Joey and Tristan peered in.  
  
"What the heck?!" Joey exclaimed, glancing at a slip of paper in his hand. "Accordin' to this thing from the mystery game, there was supposed to be a big explosion that'd kill someone!"  
  
"And we heard that big boom a minute ago," Tristan added.  
  
Mokuba ignored Tristan's comment and just stared at Joey. "What?!" he cried, clutching Seto's body protectively.  
  
"Joey Wheeler!" Tea said indignantly.  
  
Joey paused, blinking. "Eh . . . you're not tryin' to say that these mystery game cards told the future again, are you?!"  
  
"No, they didn't!!" Mokuba screamed, feeling his brother stir.  
  
Tea breathed a sigh of relief and gently squeezed Seto's hand.  
  
Now the older boy groaned and opened his eyes, pulling Mokuba close. "You know, Wheeler," he remarked weakly, "I never was into fortune-telling with cards."  
  
Mokuba giggled and hugged Seto tightly, his eyes shining.  
  
Epilogue  
  
"Man, I still don't understand anything!!" Joey said in frustration two days later as he and all the others talked on the deck of the ship.  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't, either," he admitted.  
  
"It is complicated," Shadi agreed grimly from the deck chair where he was recovering from the dark energy attack, "but the criminals who were captured have finally begun to speak concerning the parts they played in all of this."  
  
"Apparently," Yami Yugi chimed in, "the man Shadi chased here from Egypt formed some sort of alliance with Simon and the embezzlers."  
  
"Yes," Shadi nodded slowly. "That is part of it."  
  
"Simon found him ransacking the library that night and they decided to team up," Captain Hardy said, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
"According to Simon, the man was looking for some sort of ancient spell," Marik chimed in from where he was sitting with Ishizu and Rishid. "Simon offered to help him find it in return for an odd prize the man had found earlier—the Eye of the Mage, which Simon had seen the man hide in a golfball."  
  
"But Simon didn't seem interested in the half of the spell Mokuba found," Tea remarked in confusion.  
  
"He wasn't interested in the counterspell," Seto replied, "only the evil part, which we'd found earlier. Apparently, somehow Simon either found it for him, or he found it for himself." It had been shortly after that when the anonymous caller had threatened Seto's life, much to the boy's annoyance. "Simon was also the one who borrowed the staff and tried to mind-control Bakura," he said now, and Bakura shuddered at the memories.  
  
"But where the heck do those embezzlers come in?" Tristan wanted to know.  
  
"They wanted the Eye of the Mage as well," Shadi replied.  
  
"But Simon wouldn't give it up, eh?" Joey said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course not," Seto grunted. "He wanted to sell it to someone on the black market, but that was before he knew it could also conduct dark forces."  
  
"Then he wanted it for himself," Yami Yugi put in.  
  
"I have a question," Bakura spoke up shyly. "Who on earth was that Egyptian man who broke in and hurt my Yami?" He glanced over at the old thief, who was sleeping peacefully in another of the deck chairs.  
  
"He was a colleague of mine in Egypt," Shadi said grimly, "but he betrayed me and stole the staff of Khu and the Eye of the Mage."  
  
Bakura gulped. "Was . . . was it Khu who came to get his staff?" he asked slowly.  
  
"I would not doubt it," Shadi said. "And since he has vanished with his staff, I also do not doubt that he is plotting something very deadly." He stood up wearily. "I must leave now and try to track him down."  
  
"Will you be alright?" Yugi asked in concern.  
  
Shadi nodded slowly. "I will be fine." He looked around at Yugi and his friends. "But all of you, take great care. This is not over yet, and I sense that we may all meet again before the staff is recovered." Before anyone could say more, the Egyptian man had vanished.  
  
"Man, I still wonder how he does that," Joey said, scratching his head in confusion.  
  
"There's something else I'd like to know," Tea said, changing the subject. "Why did that ruby cause that explosion, and why didn't it blow up?"  
  
"As I said before, it is full of dark magic," Yami Yugi replied grimly. "Sometimes a burst of that magic is released by accident, stunning and often severely injuring those nearby. It's a miracle that you weren't hurt worse than you were, Kaiba," he said to the blue-eyed boy.  
  
Seto grunted and didn't reply.  
  
"What about those treacherous fumes?" Marik spoke up, looking angry at the memories.  
  
"Simon pleaded guilty to that," Captain Hardy said, shaking his head. "He was also responsible for letting those hijackers come onto the ship, after promising them a share of the profits he would make from selling the Eye of the Mage. Of course, he was going to doublecross them later."  
  
"But why the heck did he do those things?!" Joey cried  
  
"From what he's said, I gather it was simply to cause distractions," Captain Hardy replied solemnly.  
  
"That is outrageous!" Ishizu cried angrily. "We could have all been killed!"  
  
Yami Yugi's eyes narrowed. "I know," he said, shaking his head. "It's terrible what greed can do to a person."  
  
There was a silence, then Joey spoke up. "Hey, what about those freaky mystery game cards? Were they put around as signals for the other bad guys?"  
  
"Actually," Tristan said slowly, "from what I heard, most of them were—all except that last one, the one talking about the explosion."  
  
Mokuba blinked. "Well, where did that one come from?!" he cried.  
  
"I can't imagine," Captain Hardy said with a shake of his head. "It wasn't part of the original game, either."  
  
"One more weird thing," Joey sighed.  
  
"Hey," Rex exclaimed as he and Mai came over to them, "what about that woman we were fighting with? What was up with her?"  
  
"She was being mind-controlled by that Egyptian man right before he broke into Bakura's room," Yami Yugi replied.  
  
Yami Bakura growled in his sleep and stirred, almost as if he'd overheard that part of the conversation.  
  
"Hey," Tea exclaimed, "what about that dog that cornered us in the cargo hold? Where did it come from?!"  
  
"It belongs to one of the passengers," Seto told her. "It's actually a harmless dog, but that Egyptian man let it out of its case and gave it a drug to make it get angry and possibly attack any intruders."  
  
"That's terrible!" Tea said in horror.  
  
"Well," Joey said lightly, "now that the mystery's all over, why don't we settle back and have some fun?"  
  
"That sounds great, Joey!" Yugi said fervently.  
  
The Captain smiled. "Well, Jamie and I have been in the process of rewriting the mystery game," he said wryly. "In light of everything that's happened lately, we decided to completely change the plot so that it wouldn't remind anyone of the disasters we've just gone through. Here's the first incident. What do you think?" With that he proceeded to read from a card.  
  
"'The mystery opens as our heroes are on  
a pleasant cruise. As they look out at the  
peaceful sunset, they suddenly hear a loud,  
earth-shattering scream . . .'"  
  
He trailed off as Yami Bakura suddenly awoke and actually did scream, angry because Joey had accidentally knocked a glass of ice water on him.  
  
"Eh, whoops," Joey said with an angelic grin, not wanting to incur the old thief's wrath.  
  
"Well," Tristan remarked with a smirk as he watched Bakura's Yami wring out his shirt, "it looks as though once again the mystery game has predicted the future."  
  
"I guess there's no getting away from it," Yugi chuckled. 


End file.
